Now With 50 Percent Less Wisdom
by moroitsubasa
Summary: Crack one-shot went full-blown story. Satoshi finally begins to make use of a knife that had been passed down his family for generations.
1. You wake me up real early

AN: This is based off of a real-life experience (minus no-one being there), so it may not be very funny, but... Just tell me if you want me to continue, ok?

* * *

"Hiwatari-kun!"

"Calm down!"

"Let me go!" Confused and disoriented, he continued to struggle against his captors. His entire being was fuzzy, and it was difficult to cling to any thoughts at all. He'd obviously been knocked out and kidnapped. And now they were trying to subdue him? Fat chance. He was a skinny teenager, but he was far from helpless.

"Hiwatari-kun, control yourself!" Finally, using three of the larger men, they had him pinned against a plastic-covered chair.

"What do you want with me?" he demanded, still putting up a token struggle against the white-clad men.

"Hiwatari-kun," the oldest started patiently, "You're alright. You're at the dentist." Confusion played across the youngest's face. "We just got finished taking out your wisdom teeth. As soon as the sedative wears off, you're free to leave." Satoshi's eyes flashed in realization when he recalled exactly what was going on.

Satoshi had sat in that chair. As he had been ordered, he hadn't eaten or drank for the past eight hours. So here he was, sitting in that sanitized chair, in a room so clean, the bleached smell was making his empty stomach queasy. And why was he enduring this?

It was simple; he needed to get his wisdom teeth removed.

The doctor had finally come in, did some talking with the nurse, and set up the vitals. Then he had been connected in three places to a heart monitor, and getting his blood pressure checked. The IV went in and the blue-haired male didn't even flinch. Then there was a sensation of shooting up and next thing he knew, he was being held down by oral surgery staff.

"Oh." Well, this was awkward. "My apologies."

"It's fine," the surgeon waved it off easily, "Most people wake up disorientated, so this wasn't too bad. Although, we didn't think you'd be so combative, Hiwatari-kun, or so strong. I'm quite impressed."

"Thank you." Feeling better, he tried to stand, only to be caught by one of the doctors that had been holding him down. The poor man had scratches on his arm.

"You should rest a while. When can we expect someone to pick you up?"

"They're not," Satoshi admitted, feeling quite weak and stupid. "I didn't think the anesthetic would affect me this much. I was going to walk home."

The graying man shook his head. "That will not do. Is there someone you can call?"

He ran through the mental list. His father would be no good, he'd promised the driver he could have the day off today. There went the mental list; he went to the cell phone. Police? No. Relative in Sweden? No. Taxi? … No, that would involve him spending money he didn't have. Niwa? He scrolled down, only to be brought back to the top. Damn. Ok, pride or stay in this smelly hospital all day?

"Hiwatari-kun," that antagonizing man chimed in, "It would be best to leave soon. By the time you get out of the pharmacy, you'll be needing those pain killers."

Damn. Niwa it was.

"Hello?"

"Yes, Niwa?"

"Hiwatari-kun? What is it?"

"I… need a ride."

The doctor had been right, he did need those pain killers.


	2. With a 2 am call

A/N: For the first time in the history of my account, I have a double-update. It felt weird having a really short intro, then a _Day in the Life_ length chapter, so I split it up in two. As you can probably tell, I plan on dragging this out as long as I can. I hope you like it.

* * *

It was only about fifteen minutes before Niwa and his father arrived at the oral surgery place. Daisuke immediately announced his presence with a loud, frantic display of "Where's Hiwatari-kun?" and "Is he ok?" and "What do you mean he hasn't gotten up yet?" Satoshi's eyes narrowed at that. He hadn't been _allowed_ to get out of the chair yet. Something about not wanting him to walk out on his own. 

The door flew open with a shout of "Hiwatari-kun!" Daisuke was immediately by his side asking far too many questions at speeds Satoshi's still recovering mind couldn't handle at the moment, while an apologetic Kosuke finished a few bouts of sorrys concerning his son's behavior, only to become side-tracked as the doctor began to give him instructions. He didn't understand why, it wasn't as if Satoshi planned on staying with them or anything. He'd rest for a couple hours at his own home, then probably go to work in the evening. As Daisuke began to poke and prod to maintain Satoshi's attention, he decided it was quite enough.

"Niwa–" both Niwas glanced his way "–kun, I'm fine. May I stand up now?"

Daisuke jumped slightly, then smiled and offered him a hand, "Uh, yeah, sure." Satoshi ignored the help and made to rise on his own, only to find out his legs had been replaced with jell-o substitutes. Luckily, Daisuke caught him before he awarded with a face-full of overly-sanitized floor. He didn't know which one was more embarrassing: being caught by the alter-ego of his worst enemy (with the added bonus of Dark seeing him in a moment of weakness), or falling of his own accord. It made him wonder what Krad was doing. "M-maybe you shouldn't be standing just yet."

"I can stand just fine, Niwa-kun, just give me a minute." Daisuke didn't miss the look he was given. He knew Satoshi didn't particularly want any help–he probably only called him because he had to in the first place–but that didn't mean that he didn't need help. Stupid, stubborn Satoshi. His pride would be the death of him one day.

Meanwhile, Dark was finding the whole situation quite humorous.

_**Did you see that, Daisuke? He almost fell on his face!**_

_Dark! Don't be so mean. It's not his fault._

_**Man, I need to get a hold of some of that knock-out stuff!**_

_Dark!_

_**I'll bet I can even–**_

"Niwa," Satoshi had at some point managed to wobble across the room using the counter as a crutch while refusing the help of Kosuke, "Tell Dark to shove it."

* * *

"Niwa-san," twitch, "This isn't the way to my apartment." 

A short glance in the rear-view mirror. "I know."

"We've already been to the pharmacy. I have everything I need. You can take me home now."

Annoying smile. "That's alright, Satoshi-kun."

Perturbed silence. "Niwa-san, your wife is going to kill you."

Daisuke chuckled quietly.

Kosuke swallowed nervously. "I know."

* * *

Satoshi could only watch with some horror as Kosuke entered the house and was nearly impaled with a spear before Daisuke dragged him around to the back. That was how the plan was going to work. Kosuke would distract Emiko as Daisuke would somehow try to manage to get the heavily-drugged and unsteady Hikari through a second-story window. 

"And exactly how are we going to do this, Niwa-kun?"

"Well, I'll transfor–"

"No."

Daisuke scratched the back of his head with a short laugh, not entirely surprised that Satoshi had refused immediately. "How about I try to call Wyth?"

"What if your neighbors see?" Oh, yes, that's all the Niwas needed: one nosy neighbor to see their only son producing pitch-black wings and flying into his own window.

"Good point." Satoshi realized Daisuke was out of ideas when he started making various thinking poses.

Satoshi tried not to lean heavily against the wall–though better it than Daisuke–as he tried to come up with a plan. Some drowsy part of his mind told him that the rest of the anesthetic was wearing off and that the wall was made of brick. Wait, brick; maybe they were going about this all wrong. "You can climb brick walls, right, Niwa-kun?" He'd seen him do it before.

"Yeah, but how will that–?"

He studied the wall a little more closely. It was very sturdy and didn't look like it was booby-trapped. "Why don't you climb through your window? Then you can lower a sheet and we'll use it as a rope."

"Oh! Great idea!"

Daisuke was up and taking a sheet off his bed when a frazzled Kosuke came through the back door, having finally made it through the traps. "You can come in now. Emiko-san isn't here."

* * *

Daisuke checked one more time that Satoshi would be comfortable while glancing about nervously. The medicine seemed to be working. Satoshi was completely passed out. While this meant that Satoshi was definitely not in pain, it made Daisuke jumpy. An unconscious Satoshi was a defenseless Satoshi. Should Dark decide it was his turn to be active, Daisuke wasn't completely sure he'd be able to keep him from doing something. 

And if Emiko came home and found him–well, Daisuke chose not to think about that.

Still, it was nice to see Satoshi so relaxed for once, Daisuke decided. Recently, the boy had seemed so stressed.

_**Well, of course he's stressed. You'd be, too, if you had a pissy, blond mass-murderer living in your head.**_

"Is Krad really that bad?" Daisuke asked, finally satisfied with the state of the bed.

_**Let me put it this way: if Creepy had any less will-power, you'd be dead by now.**_

Daisuke gulped. "Do you think–Do you think he could take over right now if he wanted to?"

There was a silence in their shared mind. _**It depends.**_

"Depends?"

_**Well, I don't know what state Krad is in right now. If Satoshi is as well-versed in magic as his ancestors, then when he got his teeth pulled, Krad probably did, too. If he could do that, then he's also probably keeping the painkiller from affecting him, too.**_

"But then, wouldn't Krad be awake, too?"

_**I think Creepy's probably keeping him under lock and key right now.**_

"So we don't have to worry?"

_**If he hasn't come out yet, he probably won't for now.**_

"Ok." Daisuke stopped standing in one place like an idiot and made his way across the room. "Good night, Hiwatari-kun." He switched off the lights and closed the door. And Satoshi?

Satoshi opened his eyes and wondered if Daisuke knew that both he and Dark were talking aloud the entire time. It was a little terrifying, actually, hearing Dark's voice and knowing it was coming from Daisuke's body. He remained still for a couple more minutes to assure himself that Daisuke had really gone downstairs before he got up and, placing the prescription safely in his pocket, moved to the window, noticing for the first time that it let out to a balcony. Well, that would make his escape that much more easier.

Quietly, he slipped open the window and gauged the distance to the ground. It wouldn't be fun, but he'd be fine. With stealth that rivaled Dark's, he let himself hang over the side for a moment then dropped to the ground. He wouldn't be caught dead being doctored by the Niwas.

* * *

By the time Satoshi got home, his mouth was starting to feel unpleasant and his stomach was definitely demanding satisfaction. Knowing that taking painkillers on an empty stomach would be stupid, and leaving his teeth alone would also be stupid, Satoshi came to the smart decision to eat and take some of the prescription. He'd heard all the wisdom tooth stories. Saehara constantly bragged that when he had_his _removed, he was playing sports and eating corn on the cob that afternoon. 

Satoshi, deciding that there was no way someone like Saehara would have more endurance than him, figured that his bleeding gums and sore jaw would be able to handle his usual lunch: a little bread and water. It went down easily enough, and the pills, and what a ridiculous shade of yellow they were, didn't propose any sort of problem.

What had missed Satoshi's calculations was his stomach.

The minute the blue-haired teen had settled on the couch to check the news, his stomach gave a violent protest and he had to rush to the bathroom to avoid spilling his lunch on his nice, clean wooden floor.

He tried to eat and medicate himself again after half an hour, to get the same result. Again with just water after waiting another thirty minutes. Then again using Pepto-Bismol.

Shaking and weak from the combination of the exertion it was to empty his stomach and the lack of nutrients he had been able to supply, he remained on his knees a while, before flushing the toilet and rinsing out his mouth, disgusted at his own weakness and the fact that his gums were still bleeding. And now his cheeks were noticeably swollen.

In the back of his mind, Krad's presence flickered, and Satoshi was quick to cut him off. Krad was the last thing he needed right now.


	3. You tell me it's all over

"Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke called with a soft whisper. Emiko was downstairs and who knew how good her hearing really was. "Hiwatari-kun, are you up? I brought you some lunch." He flipped on the light and frowned.

_**He's not there.**_

Daisuke erupted into aggravated whispers. "We were in the front room the whole time! How did he even manage to get downstairs without us seeing?"

_**Daisuke.**_ The redhead felt his head move without his consent to the open window. He didn't get it at first, but as realization hit him all at once, he yelped and sprinted out on the balcony and looked down. The sight calmed him a little. There was no Hiwatari-kun-splat on the lawn, so he could assume he at least didn't hurt himself getting down.

Too bad Daisuke wasn't easily placated when he was worried and he hopped onto the rail himself after grabbing a pair of sneakers from the closet. "What's he doing sneaking off all by himself like that? Just how does he think he's going to take care of himself?"

_**You tell him, Daisuke.**_ The inner voice of Dark was highly amused.

Almost unconsciously, Daisuke let himself drop to the ground and his feet began to take him out of the yard and down the street. "What if he's allergic to the medicine or Krad takes over? What does he plan to do then? For being college graduate, Hiwatari-kun can sure be dumb sometimes."

An old lady picking up the newspaper eyed Daisuke warily. It wasn't often around here she got to see some crazy person walk by. She took pictures with her camera-phone and sent it to her grandchildren. By the time she figured out how to actually send the pictures (she was only good at taking them), Daisuke was already on Satoshi's street, still ranting and grabbing the attention of other pedestrians, most of which knew more about how their phones worked than the old lady.

"And another thing! Who knows when Mom's going to send out a note? And I'll bet Hiwatari-kun would just up and go try to stop us irregardless of how terrible he feels–"

_**Irregardless isn't a word.**_

"–Not that he'd even bother to tell me if he feels bad! Seriously, I know Krad's always making it hard on him, but will he let me know anything's wrong?"

_**Nope.**_

"No, he won't! Stupid, selfish Hiwatari-kun."

_**Yeah. Well, you better slow down before you walk right into stupid, selfish Hiwatari-kun's door.**_

"Huh? Oh." All the pent-up fury exited his system in a rush and he froze, not quite prepared to move now that he had stopped. Since when had Satoshi's door been so intimidating? All the other doors had been fine, but this one was just scary. Maybe it was enchanted to keep people away?

_**Daisuke, Creepy isn't going to use inconvenient amounts of time and magic to cast a spell on a door to scare away the door-to-door salespeople.**_

Daisuke had to agree with that. Knowing that if he knocked and Satoshi answered, he'd just be turned away, he went straight to picking the locks on the door. _What's he so paranoid about? It's not like someone's going to break in or anything._

_**Daisuke, you're breaking in.**_

_I mean someone that is doing it to be mean!_ Geez, Dark could be so dense sometimes. It took a lot more effort than most of the museum systems required, but he eventually got all of them unlocked at the same time–one of them kept re-locking every twenty seconds–and snuck in as quietly as he could manage. He removed his shoes and frowned. There were no extra house slippers; he had to go around in his socks.

Daisuke was barely across the living room when he was caught. "I don't know what made you choose this apartment, but you just picked the wrong residence to rob." Daisuke gulped as a positively miserable-looking Satoshi emerged from a back room wielding a broom. "You better get out before I–" Satoshi stopped mid-swing, squinting to see far enough to register just who was invading his space. "Niwa."

More than the exasperated tone, Daisuke didn't like how beat Satoshi looked. _And I'll bet he's trying to hide how bad he really is, too._ Daisuke turned on the charm. "Hello, Hiwatari-kun."

Satoshi was not amused. Actually, he looked pretty pissed. If Daisuke went by what Dark was saying, it had something to do with the Hikari family being possessive and their tendency to control everything belonging to them. Daisuke's invasion was interpreted as him trying to control Satoshi's apartment. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you right now for breaking and entering, and trespassing."

"You could try," Daisuke commented, glancing sideways at the TV that was still running for half a second, "but I don't think you could. You're not doing too well, are you, Hiwatari-kun."

"I'm just fine." It seemed sick-Satoshi lacked the patience and tact normal-Satoshi had, and much of his manners and indirectness. "Now get out before I call your mother and tell her you're over here fraternizing with me." Satoshi thought that would end it and turned away.

Then, Daisuke chuckled. "You wouldn't do that."

Satoshi was about to tell him _exactly_ what he was going to do, but his stomach forced him to make a hasty retreat. Daisuke followed him most of the way, then stopped when he heard the sounds of retching, and became even more worried than he was before. "Hiwatari-kun?"

_Dammit, I didn't even eat anything this time. Why me?_ He took a short glance down at the two little pills floating in the water, blood, and stomach acid, and that promptly sent him into tossing up again as his body tried to further rid him of everything that managed to slip down his throat. Somewhere in the fit, he felt a hand on his back, moving in small circles. He slapped it away angrily and rebuked Daisuke in between gasps. "I–I don't need–your pity." His stomach lurched again.

Daisuke busied his hands by gathering up some toilet paper and waited for Satoshi to be done before handing them to him. In a distant part of the apartment, the phone began to ring. Satoshi cursed and began to stand, pushing Daisuke away when he tried to help, and made his way unsteadily to the phone.

"Hiwatari speaking." Satoshi frowned. "Yes, he's here." Daisuke jumped a little, surprised as Satoshi held the phone out to him. "Your father wants to speak with you." Daisuke frantically accepted the device.

"Dad?"

"_Oh, there you are, Daisuke. I thought you'd be there."_ Daisuke laughed nervously. Just how did his father get a hold of this number in the first place? _"Just checking to see if you were really there. How's Hiwatari-kun doing?"_

Daisuke glanced around quickly. It seemed Satoshi had wandered off to whatever part of the flat he had been occupying before. "Not too good. He looks terrible. His face is all swollen and I think he's been throwing up a lot."

"_It's probably a bad reaction with the anesthetic. Did you happen to see if he's been throwing up blood?"_

"Uh, yeah, a bit." What did that have to do with anything?

"_Ok. I want you try to get him to bite down on something where he's bleeding. I think he's probably swallowing his own blood and that's irritating his stomach. It won't stop the bleeding, but it should at least give him more time to rest. Make sure he gets some ice on his cheeks and call me if anything weird happens. I'll try to beat Emiko-san and Towa-chan to the phone."_

"Ok. Thanks, Dad."

"_Remember, we have to keep this a secret from your mother."_

There were no words to describe the absolute truth of his words. "Yeah. Bye."

"_Bye."_ The line went dead and Daisuke wandered until he found Satoshi's room. Just like the rest of the house, it was mostly barren and it made Daisuke frown a bit.

"Are you and your father done talking about how you plan on taking care of me?" Satoshi asked, not bothering to mask his annoyance as he sat on the edge of his bed, refusing to lay down in front of Dark and a Niwa.

Daisuke laughed nervously. "Uh, how's Krad taking it?"

"Don't avoid the question, Niwa." It seemed he wasn't going to be civil, either. Daisuke sighed.

"He said to put ice on your cheeks to keep the from swelling any more. Also, you should put something on your gums to slow the bleeding. He thinks you're swallowing blood and that's what keeps making you sick." Satoshi stared at him flatly for a second and Daisuke felt a small chill run down his spine, then Satoshi made to get up, only to have Daisuke jump to keep him down. "Hiwatari-kun!"

"I am not incapable of getting myself some tissue, and I will not having you tearing apart the place looking for them. Dark should know by now that I don't have any art here."

"Hey! I'm not here to–"

_**Creepy's right. I felt it out already. If he has anything, it isn't active.**_

"Dark! I can't believe you!" Daisuke caught Satoshi's I-told-you-so look. "Well, tell me where they are and I'll get them for you. You're in no condition to be walking around."

Satoshi made to stand again, and Daisuke held him down again. This happened once more before the staring match began. "Fine. There should be a box of tissues in the hall closet. Ice and paper towels will be in the kitchenette."

Daisuke left and returned a little slower than Satoshi had anticipated, but it didn't really matter. Satoshi was just glad all the magical works on property were already dead. Otherwise, his flat would be the star of the next news reel. "Here you go!" Wordlessly, he accepted the items. Another stillness passed.

"Well?"

Daisuke tilted his head to the side. "Well what?"

_You know damn well what._ "You can leave now."

"Nope."

"Niwa," Satoshi ground out the name as threateningly as he could manage.

"Not until I'm sure you're going to be ok." Why did Daisuke only chose the annoying times to be adamant?

"I'm sure there's nothing else you can do to assist my recovery. Your mother is a very frightening woman and she'll be wanting you home. It is time for you to go."

Daisuke seemed to actually consider this for a moment. "You're right, but maybe…" The redhead trailed off and Satoshi did not like where this was going. Before he could put in a word of objection, Daisuke was already relinquishing control. Satoshi reached into the side table drawer and drew the white feather he kept there and held it at the ready.

"Well, a pleasant good-morning to you, too, Commander." Dark was grinning and it only served to piss Satoshi off more.

"Get out."

"Aw, but I promised Dai-chan I would help. I promise I won't do anything bad."

"I don't care what you told him, and I don't care about your promises. I want you to leave the premises now and never come back."

"You sure, Commander?" Satoshi didn't appreciate Dark's idiocy and he strained to inject some magic into his weapon of choice. Next thing he knew, his back was against the mattress, Dark's weight holding him down and his right wrist pinned down. "Now, now, it's not very nice to attack your guests."

"Go to hell!" Satoshi was panicking inside, but he did his best to keep it off his face as he pushed at Dark with his left hand. All his self control focused into not letting himself thrash about in alarm and keeping the feather in hand.

"Woah, woah, hey." Despite the younger's efforts, Dark easily plucked the feather from Satoshi, effectively relieving him of his only defense, and it dissolved into nothing in his touch. "I'm just trying to help you out, and by the way," Satoshi flinched as Dark reached up to touch his face but found himself unable to fight back, "I only use feathers because it looks good."

It felt very different, not distinctly good or bad, but sort of uncomfortable, but that was enough to send his fretting to new levels. "What are you doing?" Dark just smiled and it made him feel a little less uneasy. Suddenly, Satoshi realized that his cheeks didn't feel quite so heavy. "What did you do?"

"Just a little bit of healing magic," Dark remarked with a frivolous tone as he stretched. "And here you thought I was going to hurt you or something."

"Why?" He knew Dark knew something like this wouldn't make Satoshi any more reluctant to catch him or seal him away, so there had to be something else he was after.

"I'm just a good guy like that," Dark leaned forward so his weight was resting on his elbows.

"Dark, get off me."

"But I'm so comfy!"

"I don't give a–" A yawn escaped his lips, cutting Satoshi off.

"Sleepy, Commander?" Dark lifted his legs and swung them one after another, like a bemused girl. All at once, Satoshi realized what was happening and pushed at the thief again, but found all his strength leaving faster than he could make up for.

"Dark, you bastard, what are you planning?" Surprisingly, Dark got up, only to lift and reposition Satoshi to lay the correct way on the bed, instead of the half-on, half-off position he was in before.

"Just getting you to relax." He tucked in Satoshi despite the waning struggles.

"When I wake up, I'm going to find out exactly what you did, and I'll get you." He yawned again, fighting to keep his eyes open as he clung to his lingering consciousness. "I won't… forgive you." The last thing he saw before plunging into the land of sleep was Dark's smile as he transformed back into Daisuke.

* * *

A/N: Well, that finishes up the double-installment. Tell me what you think. 


	4. And the shit hits the wall

A/N: Yes, I'm afraid I felt the need to revamp... again. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more steady in the future. Um, the only new chapter is the last one, everything else is just made to be longer chapters. I couldn't stand doing such short chapters any more. I'm sorry. You can be angry if you want, but this is how it is.

* * *

Dark could feel Daisuke objecting in the back of his mind and quietly began to shut him out. He'd done as he had promised; he had healed Satoshi of the effects of the anesthetic, swelling, and the holes in his mouth. He'd even helped him fall asleep, sort of. It wasn't an entirely voluntary sleep and Satoshi would most certainly not be appreciative when he woke up, but it was all for the better.

Dark had lied when he said there was nothing active in the apartment. Seeing as Satoshi had openly admitted there was nothing worth taking, Dark assumed even he didn't realize whatever it was, was alive, and a conscious Satoshi would never just allow Dark to stalk around his apartment. Nothing good would have come from anyone spotting him, either, so Dark simply borrowed Daisuke's body for a little while. He'd give it back when he found what he was looking for.

He followed the distant sensation of magic down the hall and carefully felt out every available path until he found the correct door. Nothing about it was visibly different from any other door he had passed, and it didn't even feel like magic, but that's what had given it away. Highly magical beings such as himself left small trails wherever they went, and the mix of Krad's and Satoshi's presence drenched the flat, all except this one door. It could only mean one thing.

One of them was trying to hide something.

Dark easily broke the seal that would have prevented a lesser being from entering–carefully drawing just enough magic that he didn't have to rely on Daisuke–and switched back into his natural form before entering the room. At first, he could feel nothing except the fading remnants of the barrier, but slowly bits and pieces of magic began to seep through.

He could feel Daisuke stop complaining and perk up as he sensed it, too, and Dark found the light switch and flipped on what he thought would have been a solitary light meant for a closet, instead finding rows of studio lights flicking on to reveal a room larger than Hiwatari's bedroom, the walls lined with paintings–some originals, some replicas–, the only thing interrupting the pattern being the pitch black curtains that blocked all light from the windows, and in the middle of it all, sat a grand piano, covered in only a thin layer of dust and set up as if ready to be played in an instant.

* * *

If Kosuke ever had to admit to loving a certain time of day, he wouldn't be able to say a time. He wouldn't be able to claim to prefer morning, noon, or night, because it would be a terrible lie. No, the time of day he enjoyed the most was the time he was sitting in right now, lounging with Emiko and Daiki, sipping his tea, and relaxing in peaceful, quiet tranquility.

Then Emiko had to be startled by some unseen force and shatter her teacup and his tranquility to tiny, tiny bits. Daiki seemed to perk up, too, but not with all the surprise and violence Emiko had. "Emiko-san? What is it?"

She stared off in a fixed direction, as if sensing something, frowning and looking more than faintly worried. "Kosuke-san, where's Daisuke?"

Kosuke's smile froze on his face.

* * *

_**Dark, are these–?**_

"No, Daisuke." Dark knew what Daisuke was going to ask, and cut him off. It was unmistakable, the strong presence that lingered in the air, and Dark wondered how Hiwatari didn't know about it. Though there was some variety, most of the paintings along the wall had a theme: they were portraits of faces Dark found to be highly familiar. All of them were Hikari. "These are Krad's."

* * *

"Where's Daisuke?" Kosuke repeated at length, trying to buy some time to answer. Emiko nodded, suspicion obvious on her face, and Kosuke knew it would take a lot of effort to be able to pull this off.

Daiki swept in to the rescue, trying not to be too obvious. "Isn't he at that Journalist-boy's house?"

"Ah, yes!" Kosuke kept the look of gratitude off his face. "I believe he's hanging out with Saehara-kun."

"Kosuke-san." Emiko pronounced each syllable slowly and deliberately.

He looked over to Daiki, who was watching the conversation as if he already knew, but didn't want to admit to it, either. Kosuke tried a diversion. "Why, what's wrong?"

"I suddenly felt the presence of Hikari art, Kosuke-san. A lot of them."

"Ah," Kosuke flipped up his newspaper. "Well, that's great! Now Dark will have something to do for a while."

"Dark is over there with them."

"Huh?"

* * *

Dark's gaze followed the paintings to a corner as if following a family tree as he found one heir after the other–some painted more often than others–until he reached a large collection of Satoshi, where canvas after canvas stacked on top of each other on the floor until they almost toppled over to form six towers and the sight intrigued him. Cautiously, so he did not upset the art, he picked one off the top and found what was once probably a beautiful painting, slashed to ribbons. These, he decided immediately, were not Krad's.

All at once, Dark realized just to what lengths Satoshi would go to make sure his art would never harm anyone.

_**Dark, what happened? Why are they like that?**_ Dark didn't want to answer and he felt Daisuke looking through his eyes to see the signature in the corner. _**They're Hiwatari-kun's?**_ All the paintings in the stacks were dead. _**Dark!**_

No matter how much Dark didn't want to answer, he knew Daisuke had to know someday. "Daisuke, I'm sure you've noticed by now that most of the art we steal were created by the Hikari." Daisuke nodded in their shared mind. "That's because the Hikari tend to bring their art to life whether they want to or not. It's because of the strong magic in the family, and it makes their art very dangerous. Hiwatari knows this, and well…" Daisuke nodded again, prompting Dark to continue. "From the looks of things, he wants to create just as much as the rest of his family did, but unlike most of them, it looks like he'll do anything so that he doesn't create dangerous art." He felt Daisuke growing more anxious in the back of his mind, and knew he damn well should be. "So he killed them."

_**What?!**_

"He killed his paintings so that they wouldn't hurt anyone and we wouldn't steal them. And I think," he looked around, examining all the paintings on the wall that happened not to be portraits of the Hikari and found one that matched Satoshi's destroyed image of a rose, "Krad has been keeping all of them without Satoshi knowing and remaking them." He studied the two pictures for a minute and found that Krad had even kept Satoshi's flaws, but he hadn't been able to reproduce the feeling Dark had sensed from the original.

_**What are we going to do?**_

It was the question Dark was asking himself. He knew that leaving the paintings here would be harmless for the most part, unless Krad could somehow link to them. He wandered over to the piano and found stacks and stacks of compositions, both finished and unfinished, laying there. He found himself wondering what the point of making it all was if no one would ever enjoy it.

_**Dark?**_

"I don't know, Daisuke." For once, he didn't want to take it. It felt wrong just leaving it there, but he couldn't bring himself to want to steal them all, either, even if it meant that someday all those works would finally see the sun. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt his sleeping spell wearing off. "We can figure it out later, ok?"

_**Ok.**_

It wasn't difficult to recreate the seal once he had left the room, and it seemed he had done so just in time, as Satoshi began to waver into consciousness. He slipped back out of control in mid-step on the way back to Hiwatari's room and Daisuke didn't miss a beat.

Too bad that Satoshi woke up in a particularly bad mood. There was a definite scowl on his face and a threatening tone to his voice. "Niwa, what did Dark do?"

Daisuke put on his best idiot grin. "He helped you sleep." Satoshi obviously didn't buy it and half-expected that Niwa was smiling because there was marker all over his face, but he didn't get a chance to speak. "Are you hungry, Hiwatari-kun?"

* * *

Emiko opened her mouth angrily, as if she was about to repeat herself in a not-so-very patient way, but stopped before the words ever got out. She blinked, confused, and tried to figure out what exactly was going on as every trace of power disappeared. "It's gone."

"What's gone, Emiko-san?" Kosuke gradually let himself calm down and returned to sipping at his tea.

"The art. It's like it just vanished." While Emiko seemed rather shell-shocked, Kosuke was just glad the threat of Emiko finding Daisuke was over.

"Maybe it was just a fluke."

Emiko shot him a peeved look as she advanced toward the stairs, and Kosuke knew those weren't the right words to say. "Daisuke, are you up there, Sweetie?" Kosuke sunk behind his newspaper slowly, and Daiki gave him a soft, knowing look. They both listened as Emiko continued to call for Daisuke, knock on his door, then open it and find her son to be quite not at home. "Kosuke-san!"

Kosuke flinched and Daiki looked upon him with utmost sympathy.

* * *

"Hiwatari-kun." Satoshi shot an annoyed look at Daisuke and knew–he just _knew_ what was coming up next. "Where is all your food?"

Niwa sounded impatient and slightly accusatory, and Satoshi felt the redhead didn't have the right to tell him whether or not his diet was adequate. "There is a sack of rice in the cupboard next to the fridge."

"I found that," Niwa tapped his foot, and Satoshi grew increasingly annoyed at the action. "I want to know where you put the rest of the food that you eat _with_ the rice."

Niwa's tone implied that he had already figured out that Satoshi did not eat anything else with the rice, and was just waiting for Satoshi to try to say otherwise. "I don't have any."

"And just why is that?" Satoshi wondered if Daisuke realized that he was acting just like the insane Niwa Matriarch.

"Because, Niwa, thanks to you and Dark, I don't eat at home often enough that it really matters what I eat when I do." He knew he sounded harsh, but maybe it would make Niwa leave him alone. Having Niwa worried would only make everything that much more difficult for the both of them later on.

"Oh."

_That's right, Niwa._ Satoshi couldn't keep the sarcastic comment from floating across his mind. _Oh._ As if having a clear thought was the signal, Satoshi felt the familiar stirring in the back of his head, and though he devoted a piece of his consciousness to suppressing the angel, he realized it was high time for Niwa to leave. "Why don't you head on home, Niwa? I'm sure by now your mother has noticed you are not at home and is worried about you."

"Hiwatari-kun–"

_**Daisuke, it's time to go.**_

_Huh? Why?_

_**Think about it. Who have we not seen yet today that would make it a really good idea to leave right now?**_

Niwa brought himself a little back into reality and noticed that Satoshi did seem a little distracted. _Oh._ "I'll see you tomorrow, Hiwatari-kun."

Satoshi thought it was a little too easy, but half a second of thought brought him to a conclusion. _Thank you, Dark._ "Yes, tomorrow." Then Niwa was quickly out the door and Satoshi could finally begin to relax. Dismissing all thoughts of Niwa from his mind, he made his way over to the kitchen to make himself some dinner. It was all going fine and dandy for a while, and he thought he might actually enjoy eating for once, when _he_ showed up.

_**Good evening, Satoshi-sama.**_ Satoshi didn't respond as he measured just enough rice to stop his stomach's growling. He knew both being ignored and Satoshi only taking minimal care of himself would irritate Krad, and that was precisely the point. _**I take it our surgery went well?**_

Satoshi could feel Krad bristling in the back of their mind and took a small satisfaction for it. Arms only he could see or feel wrapped around his waist quickly followed by the feeling of a chin resting on his head, but Satoshi refused to acknowledge Krad's attention-seeking actions.

Krad hummed after a moment of stillness, but Satoshi didn't move because he knew Krad would prevent him from doing so and that alone would force him to admit Krad was at least _there_. _**Well, isn't this odd?**_ Satoshi took mild curiosity as to what was so odd, but he wasn't left wondering for long. _**Satoshi-sama, you smell just like that thief.**_

He wasn't given any time to prepare and dropped the measuring glass to the floor as Krad sent him reeling with a sharp headache. Little stars and spots of color floated all across his vision, and Satoshi knew the only reason he was still standing was because Krad hadn't let him go. He hated that he had to rely on Krad, he hated that the man was there, and he _hated_ that jealous tone of voice he always took when Niwa and Dark were brought up.

_**Were they here, Satoshi-sama? Mousey and the Niwa child? **_Krad's voice was both menacing and desperate to Satoshi's ears. He obviously wasn't feeling very patient today and when Satoshi didn't make to reply immediately, he unleashed another migraine. _**Answer me!**_

Satoshi felt the nausea he thought had left him earlier that afternoon sweep over him again, but he refused to give in. He would never just let Krad win. "It is none of your business who I do or do not associate with."

Krad knew right then and there that they had come, and what was worse: Satoshi was trying to defend them. _**Oh, but it is my business, Satoshi-sama. Do you know why?**_ Krad pushed forward again, and caught Satoshi completely off-guard. It hardly took any effort before Krad had shoved his way to the front.

_**Krad! **_Satoshi pounded on the mental barrier even though he knew it would do no good.

"Because I am you."


	5. You once called me a packrat

A/N: Yes, I'm afraid I felt the need to revamp... again. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more steady in the future. Um, the only new chapter is the last one, everything else is just made to be longer chapters. I couldn't stand doing such short chapters any more. I'm sorry. You can be angry if you want, but this is how it is.

* * *

As Daisuke made his way up the steps to his house, there was a wondering in the back of his mind about whether or not his mother had set traps for him. Whether it was Daisuke or Dark who thought it–shoot, maybe they both did–he didn't know, but the feeling was the same. It didn't matter much anyway, as the moment Daisuke opened the door, he knew he was in a lot more trouble than he'd be in any of Emiko's traps.

"Daisuke."

Sometimes, Daisuke really wished his mom hadn't inherited magic powers. He waited a few seconds, trying to gauge just how bad off he was. "Yeah?"

"Come inside right now."

She sounded scarier than Daisuke had expected. He heard the trickle of saliva down his throat as he–or maybe it was Dark?–gulped anxiously and prayed to any deity that would listen that he'd make it out alive. "Yes, Mom." She was in the kitchen. She was always in the kitchen when she was angry. As Daisuke had expected, she was sitting at the far end of the table and the room was impeccably clean.

Daisuke felt the blood drain from his face as he was hit with the heavy smell of cleaning chemicals. Emiko was pissed.

"Sit down."

And shit, she was smiling. Not her happy smile or the one she used to cheer him up. No, it was her I'm-so-pissed-that-the-very-thought-of-releasing-my-emotions-on-you-sounds-like-a-highly-enjoyable-idea smile. Every sane male he knew feared that smile and wanted nothing to do with it. And here he was, getting ready to face that smile.

And he had to do it sitting down.

"Where were you today, Daisuke?"

She didn't stand, she didn't budge, Daisuke wondered if she even bothered to breathe. "At Saehara-kun's?"

"Is that so?" It was most certainly not so, and Daisuke had known she already knew that, but it was worth a shot. "Did Saehara-kun happen to have any Hikari art pieces in his possession?"

That made him nervous. "No, Mom."

"I see. Did Saehara-kun have any business with Dark this afternoon?"

That made him sweat. "No, he didn't."

"Then tell me, Daisuke, why it is that I felt a short influx of powerful Hikari art and Dark's presence in the same location, at the exact same time,_not_ in the direction of Saehara-kun's house this afternoon." Daisuke wished he had known she could do that beforehand. Then maybe he wouldn't be in this position. He didn't say a word. "Answer me, Daisuke."

_Dark?_ He called out into the expanse of his mind, knowing Dark would be watching.

_**Might as well tell her, Daisuke. Otherwise she just might come up with the wrong story.**_ Daisuke fidgeted. _**I'll tell you what to say if she asks something tricky, ok?**_

_Ok._ "I was at Hiwatari-kun's." Emiko sent him a look that told him she wanted an explanation. "He got his wisdom teeth pulled and had no one to take care of him."

"Daisuke," he'd never known anyone else who could make his very name a threat before. "That boy is a Hikari."

"I know that," he admitted, knowing the lecture that was coming next. Emiko sensed this and decided it didn't need to be said. Further repetition would only dull the point.

"And the art?" she prompted.

Daisuke paused, listening for advice. Dark offered some. It was a gamble, but he took it. "I don't know anything about the art." He felt Emiko's eyes on him, but kept their gaze steady. "Dark took over and I wasn't paying attention." Dark had always been the better liar. It was only better for the both of them if they shared the control. They both knew what would happen if she got wind of all the unguarded art.

Even though they both knew it would be for the better, neither wanted it to be that way. Daisuke wondered distantly when they had become so similar.

Emiko stared at them long and hard. "Tell Dark to come out."

They paused and Dark withdrew slowly so that Emiko wouldn't notice. "He refuses." Daisuke listened carefully to what Dark said. Getting even one word wrong could send his mother off again, and he most certainly didn't want that. "He says that he wants to settle it himself."

Emiko's eyes wandered up and down her son's face, and the fact that he was being so calm worried her. They were hiding something, and that something was dangerous, and he wouldn't tell her what it was. She could tell they were working together, and that they were lying to her face, but she couldn't bring herself to call them on it. As a mother, she wanted to protect them, and as a mother, she knew they would have to face whatever decision they had made on their own.

Her son would have to grow up someday.

"You're dismissed."

* * *

Krad followed the scent of the thief across the flat as soon as he had Satoshi completely subdued. He had entered the apartment, then had followed Satoshi into the lavatory. Krad frowned and followed the trail to the bedroom, where Dark's scent suddenly became very strong near and on the bed. He lingered on this, following the signatures of Satoshi and Dark as they came much too close on the bed and stayed there for far too long.

The idea of it infuriated him and he stalked out of the room to follow it down the hall, where Satoshi had not gone. So the thief _had_ been snooping. When he found exactly _where_ he snooped, Krad froze. The art. Dark had found the art.

Without any regard to Satoshi's body or his own, he tore apart the shoddy seal and flung open the door, eyes flicking around the room, expecting everything to be gone, and finding nothing missing. Piece by piece, he checked each painting for any changes and found nothing more than an uneasy stirring in the created souls. The music had been shuffled, and the action had irritated the sheets, but it was unharmed and unaltered, so he let it be, sending calming waves of magic to sooth the barely concealed beasts within.

Finally, he reached where he had stored Satoshi's paintings–if one could call them that any longer–and found the thief's presence coming on strong again. The _Rose_ had been moved. Dark had touched it. Dark had moved Satoshi-sama's painting, and didn't even have the decency to put it back exactly as he had found it.

Krad seethed quietly as he moved the dead canvas to the correct pile and thoroughly checked everything once more. It was all safe, all sound, and all his. None of it would ever fall into Dark's greedy hands and he would make sure of it. He was Krad, Master of the Hikari, and he would have complete control of all that was his.

As he left the room, he put up a new seal–this one correct and not done half as sloppily as Dark's had been–with an extra surprise should that nosey little thief stop by again.

No one else could ever touch them.

* * *

Daisuke stared up at his ceiling, quietly taking in everything that had happened today. Now that he thought about it, a lot had happened, and the force of it hit him all at once, leaving him to feel completely unaffected. It was an odd feeling that he got every once in a while. He'd noticed that he'd been feeling that way more and more often lately. It had only started happening since he and Dark allowed themselves to become closer. _Hey, Dark?_

_**Yeah, kid?**_

Good, Dark was just as awake and wanting to talk as he was. He wondered when he had become so adept at reading the ancient man. _Why did Krad have all of those artworks hidden in Hiwatari-kun's house? And how come Hiwatari-kun doesn't know about it?_

Dark sighed within their mind, but to Daisuke, it was more like he was sitting on the bed with him, maybe somewhere near his knees, leaning back on his arms and gazing up at the ceiling just as he was. Maybe he really was and Daisuke just wasn't awake enough to notice. _**Hiwatari doesn't know because Krad's probably been keeping him shut out whenever he goes in there. There's a seal there, and Hiwatari probably can't break it. I only knew how because I've been fighting the bastard for three hundred years.**_

Daisuke wanted so badly to ask about that for so long, but it was one of those things he knew Dark would never answer. He had to wait for now. _What about the paintings?_

_**Well, partner, **_the word made him smile. Dark hadn't called him that in so long._** That's because Krad's an obsessive, possessive son-of-a-bitch.**_

Daisuke accepted that answer, and the hidden answer to his previous thoughts. They were partners. Dark knew everything he'd let him know about him, and he knew everything Dark would let him know about Dark. Dark was the pea and he was the pod.

Daisuke frowned. No that wasn't it. That wasn't the right metaphor. He was more than a container, and Dark was nothing near small and meant to be consumed, but he couldn't think of one better. Besides all that, neither of them even liked peas. He grinned and wiggled his toes beneath the blanket, watching as Wyth poised to attack his feet from the simple motion. _Were the other Hikari packrats, too?_

Wyth pounced and Dark laughed heartily within their shared mind for a long time.

* * *

Daisuke was relieved when he entered the classroom and Satoshi was already there. Tired and looking a little annoyed if Daisuke could say so, but he was there. Most importantly, it was definitely _Satoshi_ and not Krad pretending to be him. Even Daisuke had enough sense to know that Satoshi being doctored by him–willingly or not–was bad news, and he had been a little worried that Krad would have flipped out.

It seemed it was nothing different from the nights following a heist, and while it wasn't pleasing, it was a relief. If there was one thing Daisuke had learned since Dark's awakening, it was that things could always be worse.

As glad as he was that Satoshi was there, Daisuke could tell that he was in one of his go-away moods and decided it was best to leave him alone for now. Instead, he busied himself with getting ready for math, one of the few subjects he could actually say he did well in, but once the lecture began, he was far, far away. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, but today's lesson was a subject he had already mastered last year, and Dark had something much more interesting to talk about.

_Dark, are you ok?_ Or rather, not talk about. Dark had been distracted since before Daisuke had woken up this morning, and he was starting to get worried. _Dark?_

_**Hm? Yeah, sure.**_

_What were you thinking about?_

Daisuke was starting to wonder if his imagination was a little too strong or if insanity was one of the side-effects of carrying Dark, because he could've sworn he could see Dark sitting on his desk with a foot slung over one knee. He had his elbow rested on his raised leg and his chin held up by a hand. _**Nothing much. You don't need to worry about it.**_

He wanted to poke the image and see if it was real, but the last thing he needed was for his classmates, especially Satoshi, to learn just how crazy he was. _Dark, come on. Tell me._

The image of Dark and the Dark in his head sighed in unison. _**I was just thinking about yesterday.**_

_Yesterday?_

_**Yeah, you know when we were in the room with Krad's art? **_Daisuke nodded just enough that Dark would know he did. _**Well, there's something weird about it, and I didn't realize it until we were out of there, but the art in there felt wrong.**_

Daisuke wondered what made Dark think normal and the Hikari had anything to do with each other, but he understood what Dark meant. _What did it feel like?_

Dark thought another moment. _**I'll tell you about it later, ok? **_Dark's image peeked back, moving really for the first time in the conversation, and Daisuke started to wonder if he wasn't just seeing things. _**He's looking at us.**_

Daisuke glanced back and, indeed, Satoshi was watching him with a curious expression. In his mind and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Dark make a face, and Satoshi, as if reacting to him, narrowed his eyes and returned his attention to the board. _He can see you, too?_

_**Yup.**_ Dark seemed to have cheered up as he swung his feet._** You, him, Daiki, and anyone else in here who is possessed. That and someone with a lot of magic in them. **_He laughed and Daisuke just wondered what so funny. _**I bet you thought you were going crazy, weren't you?**_

Daisuke in mock anger, ignored him, but Dark laughed himself back into the far reaches of their mind.

* * *

Satoshi didn't know whether to feel relieved or pensive. The fact that he could see Dark could very easily mean that Daisuke would be able to see Krad, too. It was simultaneously reassuring and frightening, and not just for his side. Despite how often Daisuke told him that he and Dark were friends and that Dark wasn't like Krad, Satoshi had his doubts. Dark could very easily be acting toward Niwa the same way Krad had been treating him.

Satoshi backed away from that train of thought very quickly. He had no reason to believe Daisuke was lying to him–in fact, prior evidence had actually told him Niwa was a very terrible liar.

Besides, Dark and Krad might not even be using the same spell.

Dark dissipated after sticking his tongue out at him and Satoshi was able to return to a much steadier emotion of boredom that lasted him clear through most of his classes.

* * *

It was in the last class that the boredom became annoyance. _**Good afternoon, Satoshi-sama.**_ Satoshi pointedly ignored him as he carefully blocked out the memory of Dark's appearance from Krad's prying mind, leaving everything else open. Who knows? Maybe while reading his mind, Krad would bore himself to death. _**Hadn't your teacher already taught the lesson on the Meiji Restoration four times this year?**_

That was one thing they had in common: they both thought the history teacher was utterly useless. It seemed Krad had skimmed right past Dark and Niwa, and Satoshi had to block out the emotion of relief to keep Krad from becoming suspicious. Then, a hand came down on his shoulder.

_**It really would be a lot more civil on your part to cease in your constant negligence.**_ The hand tightened, but he ignored it, instead trailing his eyes back to the board and swinging them past Niwa in the process. He wasn't looking. _**And a lot more wise.**_

_It would be a lot more civil on your part to let me attend school in peace._ Even his mental voice was off-hand as he jotted down a couple notes.

_**But haven't you already graduated?**_ Satoshi couldn't argue that point. _**Why do you continue to attend school, Satoshi-sama?**_

There were many reasons, all of them Krad probably already knew. But the biggest were to have some part of his life vaguely social, to be closer to Niwa, to alleviate the tedium his apartment provided, and to have a ready-made excuse to ignore Krad. _Because my Father tells me to._

That seemed to placate Krad enough to fade away. It was a good thing he did, too, because Niwa chose that exact moment to look back at him and smile. Satoshi made a concerted effort not to change his facial expression. A returned smile would only encourage the behavior; a frown would only make Niwa bound up to him and start asking questions after class.

If there was something Satoshi wanted to do after class, it was not stick around and comfort Niwa.

In fact, right now, it was probably something along the lines of going home and taking a nap.

* * *

Daisuke returned home to a surprisingly trap-less house. It unnerved him a bit as he removed his shoes and the floor stayed neatly in place. He put on his slippers and there were no knives hidden in their soles. He passed his Grandfather on the couch, and Dark suddenly decided it was his turn out. Daisuke let out an indignant shout as he was quickly and rudely pushed aside.

Daiki didn't seem at all surprised. "Hello, Dark. Emiko-chan and Towa-chan are out grocery shopping."

"Yeah, I thought so," Dark sat on the couch next to Daiki. "Kosuke?"

Daiki let out a hum. "I believe Kosuke-kun is organizing downstairs." Dark nodded but didn't respond otherwise and Daiki picked out Dark's reason for coming out quickly. "This is about yesterday."

"Yes, it is."

Daiki waited a little to see if Dark would elaborate on his own, even though he knew he wouldn't. "There was something strange about the art."

Dark thought a moment and didn't know why he did. He could trust Daiki. "There's a room where Hiwatari lives that I don't think he knows about. Inside, there are portraits of the Hikari and a few other things, but mostly just the Hikari. But it didn't feel like art." Dark leaned back against the couch. "It felt like the Hikari themselves." Daiki didn't say anything as he considered what he was told, but Dark had one more piece of important information. "They all are signed by Krad."

"Did they have magic in them?" He was troubled, Dark could feel it, and he had every right to be.

"I think so. The entire room was shielded when I found it, and Emiko felt it all the way over here, right? And you did, too."

Daiki nodded. Quietly sorting through everything he knew about Hikari art, magic, and history, finding it all surprisingly irrelevant. "How far does it go?"

Dark closed his eyes and remembered the line and the faces it came with, each perfectly captured on canvas and paint to be preserved for as long as Krad could sustain them. "From the first, it gets all of them. After Seki, there's another woman, and then Satoshi." Dark knew Daiki would recognize the name. Seki was the Hikari of his generation.

Daiki leaned back against the couch. "Somehow, I knew Seki had a daughter. Did the other woman have a name plate?"

"Rio."

Daiki smiled. "A beautiful name." He knew he was getting off-topic and made amends. "Did Satoshi's painting feel any different?"

"There were a few of them," Daiki looked a little surprised at that and Dark expected it, "But they were weaker and none of them felt quite like him."

Daiki crossed his arms. "So whatever Krad is trying to do, for some reason it's not working."

"That's what I think." Dark leaned back on the couch. "Any theories as to what?"

"Dark, you already know what I'm thinking."

Dark nodded. "Yeah." He thought about it loudly, making sure the idea would cross the temporary wall he had made over into Daisuke's mind. As difficult as it would be for him, having Daisuke know would be a lot easier than keeping it from him. Slowly, he let all the details slip to his partner, who he could feel was fretting in the back of their mind. Krad had painted all of the Hikari they had known. Satoshi was painted several times, but they didn't feel right. The paintings didn't feel like paintings, but like the people they represented.

Specifically, it felt like their souls.

Dark let Daisuke fall to the front, sputtering and very confused, then promptly made himself unavailable. "Dark! What are you–? What do you mean they're–I mean–! Can he even–? Are you listening? Dark!"

"Daisuke." Daisuke jumped, having not even noticed his grandfather was still on the couch. "I think you should keep this from Hikari for now, just to be safe."

Daisuke knew what he meant and tried not to get angry. "Yes, Grandpa." Satoshi wouldn't tell Krad they knew, but Daisuke had to acknowledge that if Satoshi found out, the chances that Krad would pick up on it were very high. He stood from the couch and started for the stairs, when Daiki called to him.

"Emiko-chan will probably send out a notice for tomorrow night."

Daisuke smiled. "Thanks, Grandpa."

* * *

Kosuke walked back down the steps deep in thought. He hadn't meant to eaves-drop, but when he caught Dark and Daiki having a conversation about the paintings, he couldn't help it. And now, he was just worried. It seemed he would spend a long time in his study tonight.


	6. I guess it might be true

A/N: Yes, I'm afraid I felt the need to revamp... again. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more steady in the future. Um, the only new chapter is the last one, everything else is just made to be longer chapters. I couldn't stand doing such short chapters any more. I'm sorry. You can be angry if you want, but this is how it is.

* * *

Satoshi couldn't help feeling a little mentally relieved when Niwa had bounded up to him for the sole purpose of informing him that there would probably be a heist that night. It gave him more than the little time he usually got to mentally prepare for it, even though he didn't know what would be stolen. Actually, his classes were quite neglected that day because of it, but he was lucky enough that he didn't get called on.

It wasn't until after school that Satoshi realized exactly how unprepared he had been. The notice had come in, with the title of the painting. It didn't take him long to figure out exactly which painting it was. The surprise turned to frustration, and the frustration to rage, and by the time he was anywhere near calming himself, he was on a direct course for the one man he _really_ didn't want to see.

It was actually quite infuriating how Kei didn't even bother to look startled when his office doors flew open. "Ah, Satoshi! Your visits are rare nowadays. How are you feeling?"

"Why did you do it?" Satoshi demanded, not bothering with the niceties like he would on a regular basis. Krad's spirit buzzed in the back of his mind. He was probably excited to see Satoshi so close to losing it. In front of his father no less. Oh boy, would this be good.

"Now, now, manners."

Satoshi seethed. "Why did you do it, _Father_?"

Kei smiled and Satoshi hated that smile. "Why not? It's a beautiful painting. It's a shame that you feel we must hide them all away."

"But why her?"

This time, Kei did not smile. "I felt that perhaps you weren't succeeding because you lacked the motivation. So I simply upped the stakes." Satoshi was about to say something he'd have probably ended up regretting, but Kei took up the opportunity to speak again. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. Why don't you go do your job, son?"

Satoshi reigned himself in, knowing he was letting himself become far too out of control for his own liking. "Yes, Father."

* * *

By seven o'clock, he was perfectly calm again, standing next to the painting and staring into it as if there was something that was supposed to be there and wasn't. Well, besides the signature. Not that it mattered, there was only one person who could've possibly done it.

The woman in the painting has soft, golden hair, and the deepest, kindest eyes he had ever seen. Her skin stretched a little over her high cheek bones, possibly coming near the end of her life, even though she was so young. She could've lived so much longer if she hadn't shown so much devotion to painting. Satoshi frowned at the thought.

He glanced over at the nameplate. _A Portrait of Hikari Rio. Artist Unknown_. Satoshi knew who it was. There was no one else it could've been. The painting was definitely Hikari, and Satoshi himself could've never done it.

It was a self-portrait, one that Satoshi had grown up seeing, until it had disappeared one day. Now, after years of being hidden away, Satoshi could look upon it once again–upon the face of his mother–and do the one thing he knew was most dangerous to do for a Hikari work: he loved it.

Strangely, the magic within barely even stirred at the emotion, and it made Satoshi a little sad to think about it, and angry at the same time. This one was not dangerous at all. Why did Dark have to steal it?

The only reason Satoshi could think of, was that Dark wanted to prevent Satoshi from keeping it. Deep within his heart, that was the only explanation he could come up with, and his determination grew.

He only knew the power had been cut off because of the loud, resounding click, signaling the beginning of the game. He could hear the voices of the scrambling officers outside and three floors down as they scurried to get the electricity running again. If they had any sense, they'd have started running the spotlights on generators by now, instead of just plugging them into the museum's outlets, but Satoshi thought it was something they had to figure out for themselves.

Besides, whether the electricity was on or not made no difference to him at all.

There were shouts further down the hall. Dark was getting close. Satoshi stared at the door. It was the only way in or our of the room. He had made sure all the windows and vents were sealed off completely. If Dark wanted the painting, he'd have to come for it the way Satoshi wanted him to.

He waited thirty seconds. Nothing.

Forty-five seconds, still nothing.

Fifty-five seconds, the vent above him rattled and Satoshi smirked. '_Not tonight, Dark._' The rattling stopped and Satoshi held his breath, touching the handcuffs at his hip for reassurance. Still there.

A long silence passed that left Satoshi wondering if he really had taken care of all the other entrances. It was then that Dark appeared in the doorway, looking more than a little frustrated.

"Dark," Satoshi greeted coolly, crossing his arms and leaning against the stand.

Satoshi wasn't sure how long they stood there. From the looks of it, Daisuke was starting to flip out in the back of Dark's mind, he could see it in the annoyance of Dark's eyes. Dark took a step forward and Satoshi adjusted his stance to better react to whatever the next move was. He took another step, and another, until he had crossed half of the room, and still nothing was said, though it looked as though Dark might have been yelling at Daisuke to be quiet.

Dark's mind came back to the present and another stare-down began. A loud click and a faint buzz echoed through the air as the electricity came back on. The passing of a searchlight past the window sent a glimmer across Dark's eyes and Satoshi realized all at once that Dark wasn't looking at him at all. He was looking past him, directly at the painting.

Satoshi shifted to the right, a little away from the painting, and found Dark didn't seem to take any notice at all. In fact, he seemed to switch his attention back to Daisuke.

He pushed his glasses further up his nose and made his move.

* * *

_See Dai? It really is the same one._ Dark took careful steps across the room, minding his footing very closely.

_**Yeah, ok. Just get it and get out of here.**_

_Relax. I took care of the last of the guards outside._ Dark paused again, getting an eerie feeling in the back of his mind. He attributed it to Daisuke's mindless panicking and the strange energy not associated with normal Hikari works–in whatever way normal could be applied to any of them._ I'll grab it just as soon as I figure out what kind of trap Creepy left for us. It's not like him to leave it completely open like this._

_**But Hiwatari-kun**__**–**_

_I bet he's waiting for us on the roof._ Yes, that would be smarter. That way he'd be a little tired, and weighed down by the painting. Satoshi would have the advantage. Plus, he had already sealed off all the windows. That had to be it. How to get out, how to get out? He could just follow Hiwatari's trap, but that would just be stupid.

_**But, Dark! Hiwatari-kun is**__**–**_

_Shut up, Dai, and let me think._

_**DARK!**_

* * *

Dark didn't even move as Satoshi feinted left, or when he quickly cleared most of the room, or even when he jumped over the jewels display. No, Dark chose the split second before Satoshi made contact to even react, and Satoshi quickly had him wrestled to the floor, stomach down, both hands in cuffs. Dark struggled beneath him, and he injected more magic into the cuffs, grimacing as he did so. He knew Dark would be able to break out of normal handcuffs, so he had to reinforce them somehow. The rest of his concentration was put into keeping Dark in one place as he thrashed around. "You really should pay more attention, Dark."

Satoshi's breathing evened out as Dark stilled. He knew the thief was trying to think of a way to escape, but Satoshi had other things to think about. He had his thief, now what could he do with him? He couldn't turn him in, Daisuke was still in there. Using too much more magic would awaken Krad from whatever nap he had put himself in. Just letting him go would be counter-productive to everything he had worked for.

No matter how much he had thought about it over the past year, he had never reached what would happen once he actually caught Dark.

"This really is a predicament." He only said it aloud to keep his thoughts quiet. Then again, maybe he wanted Dark to hear. "I finally have you, and here I'm the one in Check. What should my next move be, I wonder."

Dark didn't respond. He didn't expect him to.

"I could arrest you, but then Niwa would also pay the consequences. Not to mention what the rest of them would do. I could let you go, but then we'd be right back at the beginning."

Dark shifted beneath him, and Satoshi waited for him to tense to fight again, but he didn't.

* * *

When Daisuke started shouting, Dark felt something was really wrong. Then it happened. He felt the shimmer of magic half a second before he saw Satoshi flying through the air out of absolutely nothing. Before he even had the chance to figure out what was going on, Satoshi was sitting on his back and his wrists burned. In the back of his mind, Daisuke was going berserk, and Dark tried his best to ignore him.

Slowly, he realized that all his bucking would do nothing but wear him out, and worked to calm down. He could get out of this. He could get out of this.

Was Satoshi freely using magic now? No, he would have felt that. Then why hadn't he seen him? Usually, the light-blue hair stood out in the darkness and the glasses reflected any and all light.

It couldn't have been Krad. He would have definitely sensed that

So why didn't he see him?

If it wasn't Satoshi, and it wasn't Krad, then who was left? There wasn't any other way. Unless it was the painting itself.

It was then that Dark heard him, at first it was just faintly, as if hearing his on an old record miles away, but slowly it gained clarity.

* * *

"It really is a predicament, isn't it." Satoshi knew what the best move would be, but he still didn't like it. He didn't really know what would happen, and he hated not knowing something. Still, it would better than not making any move at all. If he waited too long, the rest of the police would make it up there and the decision would be made for him.

His mind made up, Satoshi carefully drew out some more magic and brought it to a focus.

* * *

It started out as nothing more than a slight tug. Daisuke was used to these things by now, and he ignored it while Dark continued to think rapidly in their shared mind. He tried to listen, but only got a headache from it all. Why didn't Dark notice Satoshi? It wasn't as if he had been hiding or anything. In fact, he made no effort toward stealth that night. What was Dark thinking?

The tug turned into a pull, and Daisuke began to realize something was wrong. This was a different feeling than what he had when Dark tried to use his energy. Never mind that it was coming from the wrong direction.

The pulling turned into the feeling of hands. Pulling him out of his mind. Pulling him away from Dark. Daisuke called out to him, but Dark didn't seem to notice.

_Finally…in check…move…could arrest…consequences…beginning_

He felt Dark shift as if he were miles away and saw through his eyes a woman standing behind Satoshi, and Daisuke knew he'd seen her somewhere.

"_It really is a predicament, isn't it." _

She nodded and looked at him. Not at Dark's body, not even into Dark's eyes. She looked straight in and stared at Daisuke deep within their shared mind.

Satoshi moved, the woman seemed to be startled, and the pulling stopped. Daisuke watched, wedged into some unfamiliar cranny of their mind, as Satoshi concentrated, pulling energy and magic from deep within.

The woman put her hand on Satoshi's shoulder and he seemed to relax a little. Dark shouted. The woman glowed.

Everything erupted into a bright light.

* * *

Krad had actually been enjoying his nap. As wonderful and amusing as it was to watch every aspect of Satoshi's life, it tended to get monotonously boring. Besides, despite all the lies he _knew_ Dark told all the little Niwas, they could benefit from a little shut-eye. They didn't need it, but if nothing else, it kept them sane.

Whatever sane meant to either of them anymore.

However, as much as he had been appreciating the nap and lapse in Niwa meddling, everything changed when the lights went out. At first, his world flickered, as it was wont to do when Satoshi made extra efforts to hide his emotions. It flickered again, and Krad figured Satoshi was trying to scare off Little Niwa again, which was much better than having him seek out the Niwa Child. Satoshi didn't hide his emotions as much then, so Krad actually didn't mind the flickering, and it was more than welcome in his opinion.

So he continued to dream of devouring Niwa's spleen for ever daring to so much as glance at his Satoshi when his world went completely black.

Not only black, it went empty.

The fragile cage of icicles Satoshi liked to pretend could hold him at bay was shrinking and getting less and less amusing as his wide expanse become increasingly limited, and Krad himself became increasingly claustrophobic.

It had happened once before, only once, and Krad had no desire to live through such an experience again. So he did the only thing that made sense at the time. He clawed at the walls until he was free.

* * *

Satoshi could feel Krad waking up in the back of his mind, and felt an uneasy separation. For a moment there was no one there. For a brief second, he was truly alone in his own mind. For that short while, he felt a myriad of emotions he had never imagined: relief, comfort, accomplishment, elation. Above all of these, he felt one that he felt shouldn't have been there.

He felt an emptiness.

The sickening bottoming out of his stomach that accompanied the feeling made him hesitate, and it was shattered when Krad broke out. The void was more than filled, and Satoshi felt the headache of an enraged Krad rush his senses.

The next thing he knew, Dark was running for the painting, and he scrambled to get back on his feet.

* * *

Dark knew he had to make it there before Hiwatari. He had to get this painting out and taken care of before she decided to take matters into her own hands. He had to make sure Rio couldn't do that–what ever that even was–again.

Most importantly, he had to get this done before Krad even knew she was active because Krad was just as possessive as the Hikari were obsessive. Dark pulled a large amount of energy from Daisuke without even thinking, mentally noting to apologize later, and readied it for immediate use.

Magic shimmered behind him again, she was helping Satoshi again.

Dark's fingers brushed up against the frame.

* * *

Daisuke covered his ears to the sound of a loud screeching, like a violin played by someone with no knowledge how, only so high in pitch, Daisuke wondered how he was able to hear it at all. Everything around him burned as Dark preformed some kind of spell without any warning, taking Daisuke by surprise. The painting exploded in a dazzling array of colors.

Dark yanked the picture off the wall just before Satoshi slammed into his side, and Dark had to maneuver awkwardly so that he didn't land on top of the portrait. Satoshi knew he would. Without any regard to his or Krad's wellbeing, he drew up a small burst of magic–Krad screeched in the back of their mind–, shooting it directly into Dark's chest, hoping to stun him enough to get the painting away. Even though it left an obvious burn mark and a smoldering scent, Dark seemed hardly phased. Satoshi summoned more. He would not allow Dark to have this one.

Dark grunted as the first shot hit him square in the chest, not expecting Satoshi of all people to attack him so seriously. It caught him off-guard, and with his train of thought broken, the painting got stuck at half-sealed. Something in the connection between himself and Daisuke felt odd, and Dark tried to feel it out, but found Daisuke was not in his usual place.

Then, he felt Satoshi charge up again. Dark cursed and raised his leg.

* * *

Satoshi felt all the air leave him in a rush as he was flung halfway across the room to come to a sudden, painful stop against the jewelry case he had leapt over just minutes ago. His head hit the reinforced glass hard enough to send his vision spinning, but he could see Dark get up again.

Satoshi pushed his glasses further up his nose and sucked another attack out of Krad as he rushed toward Dark again. He launched the sphere of pulsating magic ahead of him and Dark deflected the attack, the back of his hand instantly scorched, and he heard Dark curse as he winced.

He recognized his chance for what it was and moved to tear the painting from Dark's remaining useful hand.

* * *

Dark felt himself stop thinking when he saw Satoshi fly through the air. Everything became ambition and defense. There was no art, there was no police, there was no room. There was just himself, the square thing he was trying to keep, and someone trying to take it away. Something flew at his face and he batted it away out of pure instinct. He felt and smelt his flesh burn at the touch and he grimaced at the sensation.

His opponent continued to come and tried to take his treasure away, and Dark growled as he held onto the edges with both hands, the battle turning into a tug-of-war. Adrenaline told him to tug, and he did, and his opponent pulled in return.

He forgot where he was. He forgot what he was doing. He forgot who he was. And in his mind, the person across from him didn't even look like Satoshi. Rather, he looked like a certain blond-haired demon that Dark specifically did not like.

With a fierce shout, Dark sent a burst of magic along the frame, and the man across from him screamed through clenched teeth, but did not let go.

In some distant part of his mind, Dark heard a scream.

* * *

Satoshi narrowed his eyes as he poured everything he had into keeping the painting in his hands. So this was the real Dark. This animalistic _thing_ was the thief's true nature. Somewhere deep within his subconscious, he had already known this. Somehow, he found he did not like the affirmation.

Krad continued to smash away at all of Satoshi's hastily created defenses, each one erected more desperately than the last. Satoshi knew that if Krad got out at this point, there would be no fighting back. He was tiring out himself and Dark a lot quicker than Krad seemed to be slowing. If nothing else, his growing rage seemed to be fueling him as he demolished the barriers Satoshi set before him.

Satoshi made to draw more power from the blond, and suddenly, there were no more defenses.

* * *

Emiko got up from the sofa and moved to the window. Everyone's eyes followed her. They all were thinking the exact same thing she was as her eyebrows creased in worry. Maybe it was just all her mom instincts, but she knew it deep within her heart. There was no doubt in her mind. Even though she didn't feel any more or less magic than usual, everything just seemed off.

Something was wrong.

"They're late," she muttered to no one in particular, scanning the skies with her fingers resting softly on pursed lips. They had never been late coming back before.

Daiki shifted his gaze from his daughter to the few stars visible in city skies. He knew Emiko could feel it at that very moment. She could sense the strangeness in the magic coming from the museum. She just didn't know what it was. Daiki did. Tonight, there was no air of the perfect harmony of Daisuke and Dark with just a hint of Hikari art.

Tonight, the art was replaced by a long-dead Hikari. Tonight, it felt like Dark might have been acting out on his own. Tonight, Daiki felt the barest touch of Krad; and tonight, there was something new in the mix–something he could only assume was the Hikari of this generation.

He frowned. He had never felt Satoshi use magic before, and he most certainly did not want him to start now.

* * *

Daisuke didn't know anything but the searing pain as Dark drew up another attack, mixed with an isolation he was no longer familiar with. It felt like Dark wasn't even there any more. It was like something ferocious had crawled up in his mind and stayed there. Whatever it was, he felt like it had taken Dark away from him.

A sound like a quick breath echoed through their mind, and Daisuke sensed his connection with Dark reestablish in a rush, as if Dark was reaching out to him in a hurry. Not that Daisuke was any less frantic. _**Dark, what's going on? What happened? Where did you go?**_ Daisuke listened for something–anything–but Dark just kept on pulling. _**DARK!**_

_Not now, Daisuke._ Daisuke felt his anxiety rise. Dark sounded tired.

* * *

Dark didn't make a run for it as Satoshi crumpled to the floor. He didn't make a mad dash for the only door. He didn't even prepare an attack. He simply gave Satoshi his space and waited for the inevitable. Running would only put Krad at his back. Running would only give Krad the advantage.

Besides, Dark wasn't even sure if he _could_ run any more.

Instead, he watched Satoshi struggle and writhe like he always did, holding Krad back as long as he possibly could, even though he knew it wouldn't do them any good. It was always nice to know Satoshi was on their side at least that far. Daisuke cringed and covered his ears in the back of their mind as Satoshi began to scream, and Dark knew it wasn't because Krad was taking his sweet time.

"Hiwatari." Dark looked straight into Satoshi's bewildered eyes, not sure why he was doing this. He wasn't even sure if he was the one in control any more. "It's ok. It's not your fault." This wasn't something he should get involved in. This wasn't any of his business. Why did he speak?

* * *

Kei Hiwatari took his time as he strolled down the row of paintings. This was the line he had earned. This was the family that he now controlled. The sole heir was his and his alone. Now, all that was left for him to do about them, was get rid of them. They would interfere.

He didn't know why. It was such a magnificent family. Why wouldn't they want Satoshi to continue it past himself? He knew his son was adamant about never having children, but Kei would not allow such a wonderful lineage to end.

He ran a hand down the latest portrait of his adopted son. It was Krad's latest attempt, stopped half-way because the angel knew it wasn't right. Kei wondered if all the Hikari had been so difficult to pin down.

* * *

Dark gazed on emotionlessly as an expression crossed Satoshi's face that Dark couldn't recognize just before he wasn't looking at Satoshi anymore.


	7. But I don't throw away good things

A/N: Well, here's what you've all been waiting for, and before you yell at me for being late, I actually have a legitimate reason for not posting. I've been in Japan these past 2 months with no internet. I just got an internet connection in the apartment a couple nights ago, but it's spotty, and I often lose it in the middle of things. At least there is a chapter now.

I regrouped things again starting from chapter four. Read it again if you like, but it really isn't any different from before.

Yes, I'm afraid I felt the need to revamp... again. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be more steady in the future. Um, the only new chapter is the last one, everything else is just made to be longer chapters. I couldn't stand doing such short chapters any more. I'm sorry. You can be angry if you want, but this is how it is.

_A Day in the Life_ is actually almost finished. I just need to write one part of the next chapter to make it sound not completely retarded and it'll be ready for regular posting.

By the way, I hate rain now. I really wish it would just stop.

* * *

Satoshi strained to maintain awareness as he floated along in darkness. He couldn't tell what Krad was doing anymore, and it frightened him, but he just couldn't summon the energy to open his eyes. Then, there were arms around him, unfamiliar and yet familiar. A voice echoed through his mind, familiar and yet he had never heard it before.

"Satoshi."

He knew who it was. There was no one else it could be, but why would she be here?

"Satoshi, open your eyes."

He wanted to tell her he was trying, but he couldn't make a sound.

"Satoshi."

The darkness around him warmed up and Satoshi realized for the first time just how cold it had been before. Just how long did one have to be used to the ice to become completely unaware of how cold they really were?

"Wake up, Satoshi."

He managed to crack open an eye and the darkness was dispelled. But unlike all the times before, he didn't see what Krad saw. No, instead he was in a grassy field, and standing out there with him was a fragile woman with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes that were somehow warm.

"That's my boy." She smiled at him and Satoshi found that even the hair blown in her face from the wind could not obscure it from him.

"Mother?" It was all too surreal, meeting her like this. Satoshi couldn't move from his spot, no matter how much he wanted to run. Maybe it was his indecision. He didn't know whether to run towards her or far, far away.

"Take my hand." She reached out to him, looking for all the world like the gentle woman from his memories and Satoshi could find no flaw in it. That in and of itself worried him. "Hurry."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could still hear the sounds of the battle raging outside and it only added to the vibe that none of this was real. How could he be in such a beautiful, peaceful place when his body was raging a war he wanted no part in?

She continued to gaze at him calmly, patiently, and Satoshi swallowed all his apprehension and hesitation and laid his hand in hers.

* * *

Dark felt the fingers tighten around his throat as if from far away. Daisuke was already out cold in the back of their mind from when he had made a last ditch-attempt at launching any sort of attack at Krad. He had known from the beginning that neither of them had enough energy left to fight back, but he still had to try. Daisuke had to at least know that he had tried.

Now, all that was left was the fingernails ripping into his neck, the sharp canines, and the gleeful eyes of the only being in this world that would take so much pleasure in taking his life away.

"Farewell, Mousey."

Dark apologized to Daisuke over their mental link even though he knew he couldn't hear him as he watched his vision go blurry and could only believe he imagined it as the painting in Krad's other hand sparked furiously and Krad screamed before he fell to darkness.

* * *

Rio smiled as Satoshi fell forward into her arms and held him close like she never had been able to before. Here it was safe, here it would be ok. She wondered if Satoshi could feel the embrace in his sleep and found herself hoping he could. She ran long fingernails through his hair, admiring its softness. Everything about her son was so amazing and perfect. She couldn't be more proud.

"Thank you."

* * *

Daisuke coughed and sputtered as he fell to the floor on his hands and knees. Air fought to enter his lungs and he wondered just why his body was so desperate for air. Nothing made sense anymore. The last thing he could remember is fighting Krad and Dark trying to use the last of his energy to save the two of them. _Dark!_

There was no response from the back of his mind, but he was able to feel the steady pulse of Dark in the back of his mind and it reassured him more than he thought it should. They were both alive. They would both be ok.

Daisuke looked up for the first time and found Satoshi laying on the ground not a foot away from him. "Hiwatari-kun!" He reached over to him, finding that even the slightest movement he made sent waves of pain throughout his entire body. Holding back a yelp, he shook Satoshi's shoulder but elicited no response. "Hiwatari-kun? Hiwatari-kun!"

Satoshi didn't wake up and Daisuke forced himself to calm down. He was breathing, so he was alive. It could always be worse. Daisuke brought up every last string of optimism he had left if only to make himself relax a little more. He was alive, and so were Satoshi and Dark. No one seemed to be severely injured. Even the fact that it was Satoshi laying there and not Krad was a reassurance in and of itself.

Flinching at every movement, Daisuke maneuvered Satoshi on his back. They had to get out of there before the police decided to come up or there really would be trouble. It was then Daisuke noticed the painting–or what was left of it. Instead of a beautiful image of Hikari Rio, there was only a blank canvas and Daisuke felt himself saddened by it without knowing why.

Still, at least this time was different. All the paintings his mother sealed either grew dim or turned completely black. This was something different and somehow less ominous. He gave the painting a wish for happiness from within his mind then left it there for the police to find. There was no way he could get all of them out.

* * *

Hiwatari Kei felt no rush as he strolled through the large display room. The police busied themselves in collecting information and cleaning up the remains of the fight. It seemed they were particularly savage tonight, he thought with a grin, judging by the blood. He had already reported that he had his son taken home for some rest, as Satoshi had either snuck out, or had not left of his own power. Since when had he raised such a weak boy?

No matter, he thought as he stared down at the cold husk of a painting at his feet. Satoshi had done his job beautifully.

* * *

To Daisuke, the journey to Satoshi's house lasted an eternity. Every step sent pangs through his body as he took back-roads to avoid being spotted by anyone. Someone might call an ambulance or the police, and they would have questions. Daisuke wasn't sure he'd be able to answer the kinds of questions they'd ask.

Periodically, he would stop so that the pounding of his blood in his ears would quiet enough that he could assure himself that Satoshi was still breathing behind him. His clothes were wet and dripping in his sweat and their collective blood. He couldn't remember the battles ever being so vicious before, and it worried him. How much worse would it get? Would Dark and Krad eventually kill one another? If they did, would he and Satoshi also die? What would happen to the rest of the art?

His worries kept his mind occupied until he finally made it to Satoshi's apartment. Exhausted, he picked the locks just as he had before, and laid Satoshi as gently as he could manage on the bed. He wanted to collapse right then and there, but rest had to wait a little longer.

He bandaged the both of them up as best as he could without being invasive and set a glass of water and a dose of painkillers on Satoshi's bedside table in case he should wake up and Daisuke wasn't there for him, then made his way over to the living room. There was still one more thing to take care of.

The phone didn't even ring once.

"_Daisuke! Is that you, Honey? Are you alright? Where are you? You aren't injured, are you? Is Dark–__?"_

"Mom, I'm alright." He gripped the phone tightly, somehow a little glad she was worried about him. It was proof enough that she cared. "Hiwatari-kun isn't doing well, so I'm going to be at his house until he wakes up."

"_Daisuke."_

"I know, Mom, but I'm really worried about him." He didn't want to hear it right now, and she knew he didn't. Now was not the time. "It was really bad this time."

He could almost see her pensive face as she listened to him and considered it. _"Alright. Just be careful, ok, Honey? I don't want to see you hurt."_

"I know, Mom."

There was a silence for a moment. _"What happened to the painting?"_

Daisuke smiled a little. He had actually hoped she would bring it up. "It was really weird. The woman in the painting did something and Dark didn't see Hiwatari-kun at first. I don't really know what happened, but when I left, the painting was completely white. I couldn't carry it with me, so I left it in the museum."

"_White?"_

"Yeah. Is that bad?" The first rays of the sun poked in through the windows and Daisuke could hardly believe it was so late.

"_No, it's not bad. Thank you for telling me, Honey. I want you to call if anything happens, ok? Anything at all."_

"Ok."

"_I love you."_

"Love you, too, Mom. Bye."

"_Bye."_

Daisuke rested the phone in its cradle and made his way back to Satoshi's room. Nothing had changed, and Daisuke felt his concern rise again as he settled down next to the bed.

* * *

Emiko put the phone down, feeling very tired, and turned to the rest of her family. How could she put this? "Daisuke's alright. He's worried about Hikari, so he's staying there." Kosuke nodded, not interrupting. "The painting turned white."

Even Daiki was startled and Kosuke almost dropped his coffee mug in shock. "So he really did it?"

"Yes." Emiko nodded, feeling sad for him. Even though he was a Hikari, she didn't wish that sort of thing on him. She had a feeling Satoshi wouldn't be alright for a while. "He did."

* * *

When Satoshi woke up, there was some pain, but not nearly to the degree he had been expecting before. He was also at home, in his own bed–something that didn't happen very often after thefts, especially those he didn't actually remember coming home from–and bandaged. They were wrapped a little clumsily, and were definitely not done by his own hands. He was also not wearing the shirt he had worn the night before, but instead one of his long shirts he rarely wore at all. There was a glass of water waiting for him and a pair of small pills he recognized as one of the pain medications he had in his medicine cabinet.

And there was a shock of red hair just barely in his field of vision by his bed.

Satoshi shook his head. Daisuke's kindness would be the death of him someday, especially if he continued to direct it at him. He poked around his head quietly and determined that Krad would not be waking for a long time and decided it would be safe for now. Carefully, he got out of bed, grabbed a new pair of glasses, and made his way to the kitchen without waking the sleeping Niwa to get himself something to eat. Daisuke would wake up when he was well and rested. Until then, Satoshi figured it would be ok to let him rest, if only to repay him for taking care of him the night before.

As his thoughts moved that direction, he began to think about exactly what had happened. Dark had been strange from the very beginning, Krad had a much more difficult time than usual breaking out, and once he had finally taken over, Satoshi didn't know what happened. All he could remember was meeting his mother or having a dream about meeting her, and taking her hand, then a shock and nothing.

When Niwa woke up, there would be a lot of questions indeed, but for now, they would both rest.

Satoshi padded back to his bed, slice of bread in hand, and reclined back in the sheets, staring at the slumbering head of Niwa for what felt like way too long, then sighed at himself. There was no way Niwa would be feeling good if he woke up in that position. He got out of bed again and as gently as he could, transferred Niwa to the bed.

Satoshi himself changed into actual sleepwear and continued his slumber on the couch in the living room.

* * *

Daisuke rolled over to get more comfortable and found that to be a very bad idea when his right arm flared up in pain. It was enough to wake the both of them up. _How'd I get in bed?_

_**Dunno. What are we doing at Creepy's?**_

Daisuke rubbed at an eyes, moving his arm as little as possible. _When you transformed back to me, he was unconscious and hurt pretty bad. I was just too tired to go home after that._

_**Liar.**_ Daisuke grinned. Dark was well enough to be playful. _**You were worried.**_

Daisuke shrugged. _Are you ok, Dark? You fought pretty hard last night._

_**Yeah, I'm just a little tired.**_

_What happened after I passed out?_

_**Not much. Krad just about choked me to death, and right before I blacked out, I think the painting flickered and Krad screamed.**_

Daisuke furrowed his eyebrows, picking up the painkillers he noticed Satoshi either didn't touch or replaced for him to use, and downed them along with most of the water. _But didn't you seal it?_

_**No, Creepy interrupted it. I only got about halfway.**_

_But it was white when I left._ Dark didn't reply immediately and Daisuke wondered exactly what there was to think about. If both his mom and Dark were worried about that, then it had to be important. _Dark? What is it? Is white bad?_

_**Well, it's not bad, Dai. The painting's never going to be active again.**_

_So it's sealed?_

_**No, it's not.**_

_Then what is it?_

Dark seemed to hesitate in the back of his mind and it made Daisuke worry a little. Dark sensed it, and decided it would just be easier to tell him. _**It's dead, Dai.**_

Daisuke swallowed hard. _Dead? Did we kill it?_

_**I'm pretty sure **_**we**_** didn't Dai. Either Satoshi or Krad did, for whatever reason.**_

Daisuke knew exactly what Dark meant. There was no reason for Krad to kill it. It had been in his personal collection, protected and taken care of. Krad would have been the last one to ever kill that painting. _So Satoshi killed it?_ He felt Dark nod in the back of his mind. _But wasn't that painting actually possessed by that person? And she was one of Satoshi's ancestors, right?_ Something occurred to him very suddenly. Hers had been the one right before Satoshi's. Dark felt the realization and dreaded Daisuke's reaction. _She was his mom, wasn't she?_

_**Dai, I don't want you confronting Creepy about this.**_

_But why? I mean–__how could he? He didn't kill any of the others–__just the ones he made, right? Why would he kill the one of his mom?_

_**Think about it, Dai. For all you know, she could have been helping Krad and Creepy's taking it very hard. He might not even realize he did it. I'm sure he didn't know his mother's soul was actually in there.**_

Daisuke ran an uneasy hand through his hair and glanced at the clock, not really comprehending it, but finding it to be something to stare at for the meanwhile. Then, his mind kicked in. "Crap! I'm late for school!" He practically leapt out of bed, only to find is legs could not yet hold his weight and collapse on the floor.

"I really don't think either of us should go to school today, Niwa."

Daisuke turned his head to see Satoshi standing in the doorway. Frazzled, dragging a blanket, and wearing fresh bandages, but Satoshi nonetheless. "Hiwatari-kun, you're ok!"

"Well enough to be up, anyway," he shrugged as he made his way over to Daisuke. "You on the other hand, look like you'll need help getting back into bed."

Daisuke grinned sheepishly as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. "I'll be ok. What about you?" Satoshi blinked from his kneeling position. "Dark and Krad were both pretty rough last night. I was really worried for a while."

"I woke up feeling better than I usually do, actually. I was really surprised." He grabbed Daisuke's arm and helped him up as easily as he could, ignoring the redhead's hiss of pain. "Your mother does know you're here, right?"

Daisuke chuckled at that, biting down another hiss as Satoshi helped him to the bed. "Yeah. I called her last night. She was really worried."

Satoshi nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed, wondering if there was anything else he could chat about before getting to the point, and found nothing. "Niwa, I want you to tell me everything that happened after Krad took over."

Daisuke started and Satoshi had to wonder what was to be surprised about. "Everything? But, don't you–?"

"Usually, I can see everything Krad does, but this time was different." Daisuke gave him a look that told him he wanted to know how different and Satoshi chose not to answer that look. "At least tell me what you know so I can start thinking about what to put in the police report."

"Ok, um–" Daisuke searched his mind, not knowing how detailed he had to be. "Dark and Krad fought. Krad was really angry and Dark was having a hard time. Dark ended up using the last of our energy, and I guess–"

"He used it all?"

Daisuke looked back from his thinking spot on the ceiling to see an angry-looking Satoshi. He swallowed hard. "Yeah, but I told him it was ok since he was trying to save both of us, and there wasn't any other choice and–"

Satoshi pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing his anger to retreat. When Krad wasn't awake, he always got a false sense of freedom that he could feel whatever he wanted, even though he knew it wasn't real. It was a dangerous path of thinking. Either way, he could yell at Dark later for being so reckless. It wasn't Niwa's fault. "Ok, what happened after that?"

"Um, Dark said Krad was strangling him and the painting… sparked? Yeah, he said it sparked and Krad screamed. He transformed back into me, and you were unconscious, and you weren't looking too good, so I took you home."

"And the painting?" Daisuke gulped, looking nervous, and Satoshi folded his hands and rested his chin on them, knowing he looked intimidating even if he didn't. "Niwa, what happened to the painting? I don't care if your family has it, I just need to know."

Daisuke scratched the back of his head, eyes never straying from the upper part of Satoshi's room. "Um, well… I left it there, because it didn't look like it was going to do any harm."

"Niwa." Daisuke flinched, making the mistake of looking in Satoshi's general direction. He got captured by his unwavering eyes and knew he was in for it. "What happened to the painting?"

Satoshi watched as Daisuke's face fell, and he knew he wouldn't like whatever it was he had to tell him. Whatever it was that happened to it wasn't pleasant and Dark was probably advising him on some way to get around telling him. It would fail, because Satoshi was persistent and Daisuke wasn't well enough to transform back into Dark. It would be better if Niwa would tell him outright and get it out of the way than to stall like this forever. "It turned white."

Satoshi blinked, taken aback. "White?"

"Yeah, the whole thing was white when I left."

Satoshi stood quietly, stretching to understand exactly what had happened and what he really felt about it. For once, the answer escaped him, and he really didn't like it. He could sense Niwa's uneasiness behind him, and decided it was no longer alright for Daisuke to stay here. "I'm calling your mother and asking her to take you home."

"What?" Satoshi heard Daisuke's weight lift from the bed and felt the hand grab at his sleeve. He really wished Daisuke wouldn't get so touchy when he was upset. "Why?"

"You shouldn't be here, Niwa." Satoshi separated himself from Niwa's grip easily. He didn't look at him. He couldn't look at him. "Besides, I'm sure–"

"Hiwatari-kun–"

"–your family would be able to take much better care of you."

"Hiwatari-kun!" This time the hand grabbed his elbow and pulled him to turn half-way, and Satoshi's startled eyes just barely missed eye contact. He could hear Daisuke struggling to come up some excuse, any excuse not to leave, and he forced himself not to wonder why he wanted to stay so badly. Satoshi didn't want to play this game.

"Niwa, this is my apartment; I could very well have you evicted. Now should I have your mother come pick you up, or would you rather have me call security and have you walk home in your condition?" Niwa let go. That was all he needed, and Satoshi brisked out of the room. He didn't like having to be so harsh towards Daisuke, but the stubbornness had to be countered with something.

Steadying himself, he hit the redial button and waited the half-second it took for someone to answer the phone. _"Daisuke?" _Female, not the _Towa no Shirube_. Niwa Emiko. _"Are you ok, Sweetie? Do you need anything? Has Dark waken up yet? Are you hungry_–_"_

"Niwa-san, this is Hiwa–Hikari Satoshi speaking." He frowned at himself for using that name, but he needed to get a point across. It worked.

"_Hikari." _The tone of voice was very different, not that he had expected any different from her. _"Where's Daisuke?"_

"He's recovering. I would like very much for you to come take him home where he can rest properly." There was a long silence on the other end. "I can also arrange a ride for him if it is required, but it really would be much better for him to be cared for by his family at this time."

"_We will head over immediately."_

"I assume you will not be requiring directions."

"_No, we won't. I can sense where you are." _Satoshi frowned. She didn't need to state it openly. _"Both of you." _The line went dead and Satoshi let himself relax just a little, trying not to think about the fact the he may have the entire Niwa family in his apartment within the hour. They wouldn't be so bold and discourteous as to rob him when he was injured, especially after doing them the favor of not killing–much less arresting–their only son over the past year.

At the very least, Daisuke wouldn't stand for it, and somehow he knew that alone was enough to hold the entire family at bay.

* * *

Satoshi successfully managed to avoid Daisuke for the entirety of the ten minutes it took for his family to arrive with a lot less ceremony than he thought it would have to take. Actually, the only thing that really served as fanfare was his door buzzer going off, the clicking of his locks unlocking, and the short creak the door made as it swung open to reveal a distinctly unhappy Niwa Matriarch leading the other two, significantly less hostile members. "Hikari."

"Niwa-san," Satoshi greeted back with as much politeness as he could muster. At least he was feeling friendly enough to leave the title on. "Please, come in. Make yourselves at home." Emiko didn't take a second to consider the offer before she strode in. Daiki followed without a word in much less of a hurry, but Kosuke seemed to linger a little, just long enough that the impression that he was in no rush got across.

Actually, he seemed to not be in a hurry at all. "Good afternoon, Satoshi-kun."

Satoshi didn't have to turn to feel Emiko's glare. Kosuke really was going to get himself killed one of these days, no matter how much the gesture was appreciated. He could hear Emiko heading towards the hall, and he knew where she was going. "Niwa-kun is in the bedroom," he only said it to add a hint of normalcy to his life. Maybe he could pretend that there was no inherent strangeness to each and every person currently in his house.

Then he heard the scream and his pretend game went to pieces all over again. As much as listening to Niwa Emiko fuss endlessly over her son appealed to him at the moment, he'd rather get them all out of his house so he could finally get some peace and quiet.

"Are you alright?"

Satoshi was able to stop himself from asserting to Daisuke for the final time that he was just fine when he realized it wasn't Daisuke who asked at all. "I'm fine, Niwa-san."

"Are you sure?" Satoshi didn't have to remind himself to be polite as much with Kosuke as he did with the others, but today the man was pushing it. Maybe it was because he actually looked concerned. "You seem to be pretty hurt."

Satoshi regarded him for a moment, forgetting to watch the eldest Niwa out of the corner of his eye and listen just hard enough to be sure Emiko wasn't going where she didn't belong, and just saw Niwa Kosuke. Now he had an understanding of where Daisuke got his personality from. "I've been hurt worse than this, Niwa-san, however I believe this is the first time your son has received injuries to this degree. You should focus your care on him."

Kosuke didn't smile. "I wasn't talking about your wounds–"

"Kosuke-san." Satoshi and Kosuke both turned their heads to see Emiko emerging from the hallway, Daisuke looking very indignant on her back. "Let's go." She shifted her attention to Satoshi, not with all the menace and warning as she had before. "Hikari."

"Niwa-san."

Kosuke shook his head as he stood. Would nothing ever change? He let Daiki leave ahead of him, following Emiko out the door, just so he had the chance not to get scolded any more than he already was going to be. "Have a nice day, Satoshi-kun."

Satoshi waited until he thought there was the slightest chance Emiko wouldn't hear him, and he had a feeling Kosuke knew it. "Good afternoon, Niwa-san." Kosuke turned with a wave to follow the rest of his family out, and Satoshi was finally allowed to shut the door.

* * *

Emiko felt her son's slow, steady breaths on her back as he slept. He was exhausted and she knew it, and the only one she had to blame was the Hikari her son had taken care of the night before. Who knew how long she'd have to keep him from school until his injuries healed to a reasonable extent? And from what she could tell so far, last night had been very close.

Something strange had happened. The last she felt of the battle was Dark fading away behind Krad's strong presence, then the strange magic, and then nothing. It was as if whatever the last thing was, it had taken everything away. Now, she could feel both Daisuke and Dark sleeping as peacefully as they could on her back, and yet she couldn't remain angry with Satoshi.

She didn't know why, and it frustrated her.

"Did you feel anything, Dad?"

Daiki nodded. "The White Wings is weakened, and Hikari's magic is the same as always."

Emiko kept looking forward, continuing in hushed tones so her husband wouldn't hear. She didn't need him worrying. "And the art?"

"He didn't have any."

"I see." She was a little disappointed at this. Had it all been moved? Where was he storing it? How had he been keeping them from sensing it? Why did everything have to change so suddenly?

She had never felt as many active pieces of art at one time as she had that day, and the feeling had filled her with dread. There were works of art the Hikari had that were still alive, dangerous, and unknown to anyone else. They had been in Satoshi's house and that was a terrible thought in and of itself. However, when she considered that the art being available to Satoshi meant that it was all available to Krad, she felt a chill go down her spine.

Things were coming to a head, and her son would have to be the one to end it all.

And all she could do is support him from the side and pray that he would only come back alive.

"Come on, Dad. Let's get Daisuke home."

Daiki sent her a smile, and she appreciated it, and all the while, Kosuke followed quietly behind.

* * *

A/N: And that's all for now. Stupid rain is storming again, so I have to start unplugging things. Grr.


	8. Unlike you

A/N - It's been a long time, hasn't it. Somehow, I feel like my writing style has changed a little. Heh heh. Rereading this, it's almost hard to understand, and there's a lot happening in just a little amount of space. I hope it's ok.

If it's too hard to follow, let me know, and I'll see what I can do to make it easier without ruining the feel of the chapter. Make sure you tell me what was unclear!

Um, if you're wondering what has taken me so long, you should probably view my blog. It will also make it easier to understand if my English has gone strange. Sorry if it is, I'm trying to get it back to normal, but it's hard... If you want any other updates, check my profile page and see what I have there. You may find something interesting!

Nothing very new or special going on here. The band I've been following is releasing a new CD soon, so quickly after their single! If you go to the HMV website, look up Venomstrip and buy a CD! They also have a website where you can listen to some tracks, and a MySpace where they put their blogs into English. You really should check them out. Please?

Enough with the advertising, yeah? Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Satoshi leaned against the door heavily, processing every last scrap of information. Everything he remembered from last night, everything Daisuke told him, everything Daisuke said Dark told him, Krad's current state of hibernation in the back of his mind―all of it put together still made little to no sense, but he could manage for now.

Besides, he understood the most important detail.

His knees buckled beneath him and he slid to the ground.

_She reached out her hand, gently. Trusting._

His hands shook as he brought them into his vision.

_Her voice reverberated across their peaceful plane._

This was wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen like that.

_He reached out._

It was never supposed to be like this.

_He touched her hand._

He was an artist.

_She smiled._

His hands were meant to create, dammit.

_All went black_

And all alone, Satoshi's let his voice shake out, even more unsteady than the hands he no longer held any faith in.

"I killed her."

_Dark?_

* * *

_**Yeah, kid? Dark didn't even try to tell Daisuke what time it was.**_

_I'm worried about Hiwatari-kun. _Dark knew this already, and had spent the last couple hours wondering if Daisuke was ever going to admit it. All he'd done since he'd woken up was stare out that window with thoughts so heavy, Dark just chose to stop listening after a while.

_**I'm sure he'll be ok. You won't be if you don't get some sleep.**_

For a moment, it almost looked like Daisuke was considering the offer. _Something's wrong._

This was something Dark had not expected to hear. _**And just how would you know if something were wrong?**_

Daisuke shrugged, having not expected a reply and more exhausted than he cared to admit. _I dunno. Just―something's telling me something's wrong._ That was something he had expected a response to, and when none came, he called out to Dark quietly, unnerved.

_**Nothing, Daisuke. Get some sleep. **_Dark hated dismissing things like this, especially when everything was going weird on them, but Daisuke was hurt, exhausted, and running a fever from his wounds. He'd let him sleep for now and try to understand in the morning.

It wasn't like whatever was wrong was going to come for them in the night.

* * *

Satoshi ignored the footsteps advancing on the wooden floor, or maybe he just hadn't heard the approach. Kei laid a gentle hand on his son's shoulders and the boy didn't so much as shrug the hand away, so engrossed was he in his slightly repetitive, but deliberate movements. Every slight motion had a distinct purpose, all for some ultimate goal Kei could only guess at.

In all honesty, Kei didn't care. He could feel the magic working in Satoshi as he reached down again momentarily, only to return to holding his arm out gingerly to recreate the visage of the woman Kei had manipulated him to destroy only two nights earlier.

For the first time in a long time, there was a sense of awe in Kei's voice as he brought his mouth near Satoshi's ear, careful not to bring his voice to anything louder than a whisper, as if afraid any extra noise would cause the moment to shatter. "She's beautiful, Satoshi."

The painting glowed a little brighter before them, and Satoshi didn't seem to even notice. Normally such close contact with his father was something he pointedly avoided, but it didn't matter right now.

All that mattered was finishing what he had started. It was like the art had called out to him. It prohibited him from sleeping, the need to paint making his whole body itch and squirm until he finally gave up and left the bed, leaving his apartment in nothing more than his nightwear, then searching the mansion like a madman for supplies. He knew he would not be able to rest until he was finished.

Perhaps it was just a small part of the vast fortune of collective insanity he had inherited.

Kei knelt next to him for more time than he cared to account for and by the time Satoshi even had the idea to look away from the painting, the sun was already beginning to peak through the western windows, and Kei had never left his side. It didn't particularly bother him, but all the affection Kei was offering the painting was only building it up stronger, and making what he had to do even more difficult.

Satoshi was sure Kei could tell he was only creating a replica, and as far as Kei's amateur eyes could tell, it was a perfect and exact copy of the painting he had destroyed the other night.

Satoshi knew better. He had created with more care and attention to detail than the original artist cared to paint with. There was more love and consideration in this piece than the original portrait had ever seen. He knew it was a mistake, and yet it was one he made with every brush stroke.

"Why her, Satoshi?"

The painting brightened. It knew Kei's emotions and fed off them like the monster it was. Not only was it a Hikari artwork, but it was a painting created upon the corpse of the one he had sucked the life from the night before.

Satoshi knew Kei would never have known the difference.

"If I must kill her, I will do it properly."

* * *

Daisuke sat up in bed, not knowing when he had woken up, with his hands busying to switch his shirt out for a fresher one, all without his mind's knowledge. It didn't take too long for his brain to kick into a high enough gear to understand what was going on. _Dark?_

_**You awake, Daisuke?**_

_Kinda._ His hands found a suitable shirt and went about changing his pants. _What's going on?_

_**I'm not sure. When I woke up, I could sense a lot of magic. Well, not a lot per say, just a little magic stretched out over a long period of time. Following me?**_

Daisuke certainly was following him—right out the window. Not like he had a choice. He did understand where Dark was going with the conversation, though. For the most part. _Yeah._

Dark dropped him out the window carefully, paying attention to their combined aches and wounds. _**Well, it feels like Satoshi so I'm just going to check it out to make sure everything's ok, and transforming probably would've killed the both of us.**_

Daisuke sighed, never able to get used to the numb feeling he got when Dark puppeteered him. _So, it's not like this is Krad in Satoshi-kun's body or anything, right?_

_**Right. Krad's still out. I'd know if that bastard woke up.**_

Daisuke was out of excuses. _Well, be careful. Don't get us caught._

_**Daisuke, it's me.**_ It was a vast relief to hear such confidence in Dark's voice. **_If I do get caught, I'll slip right out of it like always._**

_Dark!_

* * *

Daiki watched his daughter fret about nervously, as she had been doing all day. She moved from chore to chore, unable to sit or relax, like a cat before a storm. It was a theory that the cats could sense the electricity in the air, and not quite able to know what it was, it made them uneasy.

Daiki figured it suited Emiko perfectly. She didn't know just what was going on, but that something was happening, and the simple fact that she couldn't identify what was making her so uptight only made her twitter about even more.

And while she worried herself to pieces, Daiki sat in his spot on the couch and pretended he wasn't following everything. The Hikari was creating in his mansion, the White Wings was still so weak as to be undetectable, and Dark was taking Daisuke to investigate.

Then, when his grandson and ex-partner were almost there, the magic trickled to a stop, then began again in a completely different form. It was still distinctly Hikari, but it had changed into something exactly the opposite of what was used before.

The Hikari seemed to be done creating, and was taking the first step towards the madness that had taken all the Hikari before him.

He'd heard Daisuke and Dark argue this before, and it always ended as a stalemate. Dark insisted that if Satoshi didn't go insane on his own, Krad would drive him to it, to which Daisuke couldn't object that he would try. Daisuke would insist that Satoshi was stronger and a lot different than all the other Hikari, to which Dark couldn't argue.

What never entered the argument was the fact that Satoshi had chosen a completely different path of art preservation, rather than simply creating or destroying. He had just wanted to maintain whatever balance was left and leave it at that.

Which was all well and good, apparently, until the other night.

Daiki sighed as he continued to track the use of magic without letting himself be detected. It seemed all his hopes were wrong.

In the end, Satoshi was no different from the rest of his family.

* * *

Kei watched patiently from a safe distance as Satoshi laid the painting on the floor with a great amount of care. Satoshi knew it was one more thing Kei would never be able to understand. As far as the painting was concerned—with what little life and power he had granted it—Satoshi was something to be equated to a father, or perhaps even a god, and the moment he had finished pouring life and love into it, he laid it down for the sacrifice.

It was cold-hearted of him, but there was nothing else he could do. It was either go through with his actions properly, or go mad from lack of rest.

Or madder, as the case may be. He didn't know anymore.

He squelched down the little voice that told him that if he did this, he was no different from his ancestors, because he knew it was wrong. His ancestors would never have done something so cold and barbaric to something they had made. They would have created it and hung it in their gallery so it could go strong and eventually steal the lives of those who admired it.

Satoshi knew better than that and had already reasoned with himself that this way was better. That didn't mean that he was convinced, but he was not going to change his course now. He had created a monster, and now he would do away with it, and maybe finally get some sleep.

He pulled a special tool out of the kit handed down through his family and turned it over in his hands as a distinctly familiar feeling overtook him. It was the only Hikari art-piece his ancestors never dared to destroy, simply because it was the one thing that could bring down their creations for sure. He had never been trained to do this, but he understood all the same. It was as if the knowledge of the ritual poured out of the beautifully intricate knife in his hands and into his mind.

Knowing Hikari artworks, that is probably precisely what was going on. He could feel the murderous intent in the blade and stopped it from tainting his own motives. This had to be simple, clean, and sterile if he ever hoped to sleep peacefully again.

He approached the painting silently and all the magic in the portrait quivered in fear and anticipation of what was going to come. It pleaded with him and begged with the small voice it had, sounding like a small child in Satoshi's mind, and compared to other works his ancestors had created, it was.

However, this small child could very easily become a destructive beast. Satoshi didn't know how to limit the power of the painting, so he didn't try. Instead, he poured his emotions into the resurrection of the painting he had grown up pouring his emotions into. Instead of the quiet, steady portrait of his mother he had seen, it was now the uncaged child of a beast, and had to be put down like the rabid thing it was.

With this in mind, Satoshi held the knife out over the painting and concentrated on the knowledge that swam through his mind. Letting lose a wave of magic, he turned it point down.

The painting screamed in hysterical desperation, promising to be good, swearing to never harm anyone.

Satoshi would hear none of it.

_With this dagger, I thee slay._

He wasn't sure if he said the words or merely thought them as the magic whipped about him violently for what seemed like an eternity as the knife glowed an eerie red and his painting screamed out in agony. His signature in the corner burned brightly in his eyes and as the painting shined ever brighter, he saw the ghost of the painting rise up. The spirit gazed into his eyes with a sorrowful expression, no longer able to do anything more, and all was still.

Satoshi dropped the dagger and watched her, and she stared at him, until finally she dissolved into the nothingness she was born from, and Satoshi fell forward into a very welcome slumber.

Kei stepped forward, wishing he could've seen whatever it was his son saw. He wanted to know why his son had braced himself as if there had been a gust of wind and why he had stared into the wall for the few seconds before he had passed out. What he was most curious about was the color that had returned to Satoshi's cheeks and the almost human warmth to his body.

* * *

As Dark observed from the window, he was glad Daisuke had been unable to stay awake during the trip over. The kid would've had nightmares for a week if he had seen what Dark had seen, assuming he was capable of seeing such things yet. Dark himself had to wonder if Satoshi had been able to see the way the painting and its ghost had bled, or heard how it called Satoshi a traitor as it was finally absorbed into Satoshi's aura.

Even after loosing consciousness, he could feel that Satoshi was just a little bit stronger after the ceremony, and Dark hoped to the gods that Satoshi would never figure it out.

He peered down at the empty husk of the twice slain painting with a cringe, knowing that would be his fate someday, at the same time eyeing the discarded knife on the floor. The blade flashed at him in warning, and Dark decided not to take any chances.

He had Daisuke's body leave the window and start taking them home, trying to figure out what he would tell Daisuke he saw.

* * *

A/N - Yeah, this was a rough and pretty dark chapter, but when dealing with Hikari magic, all can't be bright and beautiful. This chapter was released as soon as I had it finished with no beta'ing or anything (Author's Notes are never beta'd. This is how I really type). Leave me a review to get my spirits up and encourage me to release a new chapter soon!


	9. Your friends seem very angry

A/N: Heh heh, I guess I finally came up with the next chapter, huh. I feel like I'm going to fast plot-wise and almost getting to the point where I confuse people, but then I also feel that I want everyone to be confused, so that I can gradually clear things up later.

I make a reference to "adopted Chinese characters" later in the chapter, and I wanted to clarify things for people who don't know much about the Japanese language. Originally, Japanese did not have a writing system, and so when people wanted to start writing things down, they more or less wrote it in Chinese. As people became more and more educated and the use of Chinese spread further within the country, the people began to connect the Chinese characters to Japanese words. In a couple hundred years, Chinese was no longer in use, but their characters were, and the languages looked close to identical, as the Japanese people had yet to simplify phonetic characters and used what is called _man'yougana_ (of which there is a Wikipedia entry). Later these _man'yougana_ characters would be simplified into widely recognized phonetic characters that would not even be standardised officially until the Meiji Era.

In short, Japan borrows Chinese characters, and changes them to suit their needs gradually over time, so older Japanese writings are actually unreadable to a great portion of the modern-day Japanese population.

To be honest, this is also true of English. Shakespearian English is really Early-Mid Modern English. Most of us modern English speakers would get a headache trying to read Middle English, and Early English is almost impossible.

Another point of reference, this time to "the mainland", obviously meaning mainland Asia, as opposed to the islands of Japan.

And... enough about things that you probably don't care about. On with the chapter!

* * *

By the time Satoshi woke up, it was already well into the day, and although he had only been conscious for a few seconds, everything was already completely different from what it normally was. Judging by the shadows along the floor, it was already midway through the afternoon, and he never slept that late; he was in his room at the mansion where he had not slept in several years; he felt inexplicably secure, a feeling he was so used to being without that he was unsure what it was for a few moments; and, the most important thing of all, but also one he almost overlooked, he woke with a clear head, ready to roll out of bed and start the day.

_How odd. _The thought rolled through his mind, disturbing the one being that he wanted least to disturb.

_**Welcome to the world of the waking, Satoshi-sama. **_Krad seemed to be in a foul mood, and Satoshi was hard-pressed to care.

_What an appropriate sentiment from the one who has been sleeping for two days. _Satoshi's response was sour as he replaced his glasses on his face and made his way over to the closet, hoping to find a set of clothes that would still fit him there.

_**Why Satoshi-sama, that's only because you tried to kill me. **_Satoshi had a response about how that was kinder than what Krad deserved, but held his tongue. There was no reason to provoke an attack. Krad frowned and materialized himself behind Satoshi, watching him shift through shirts and pants that hadn't fit him since he hit his first growth spurt. **_What ever did happen to that painting?_**

Satoshi paused in his searching. He had been actively avoiding the subject, both because he was still very sore about it, and in anxiousness of Krad's response. They had never killed a painting that Satoshi hadn't been the sole creator of before, and even that was met with harsh objections.

_**Does Dark have it?**_

Satoshi finally found a shirt that looked like it could still fit and pulled it off the hanger sluggishly. _No._

Krad seemed to brighten in their shared mind. _**Then we saved it? **_Satoshi could feel the elation ready to burst, and Krad knew it, having a hard time toning it down. In truth, Krad wanted to take over right now and rub it in Dark's face, but he was still weak from the other night. When Satoshi's spirit reacted to this in a negative fashion, Krad grew suspicious. **_The painting is safe, correct?_** There was no response from Satoshi other than his fruitless searching for a pair of pants, and that only worsened Krad's mood. _**What happened to the painting, Satoshi-sama?**_

Satoshi braced himself. _She's dead._ Krad bristled, demanding an explanation loudly enough to bring Satoshi a headache, and Satoshi knew he could not be in any more trouble than he already was, and that either giving or withholding his answer was of no consequence beyond the fact that if he didn't elaborate, Krad would invade his mind and discover it himself.

And that would be a most unpleasant experience. _We―I killed her.

* * *

_Playing board games with your other self was always a strange experience. He'd move, then Dark would move, using Daisuke's hand. Before, he always had Dark look through the mirror if he wanted his own perspective, but recently, Dark had been in the habit of materializing across from him, and instead of Daisuke's hand moving on its own, Dark would grab it and move it mechanically, as he did to move his checker piece just then.

"So you really can't interact with anything but me?"

_**Yeah.**_

"Because you're in my head?"

_**That's just about right.**_

"But when you're not in my head, you can't make my body do things?"

_**Wrong.**_

Daisuke blinked, forgetting about taking his turn and looking up at Dark. "What?"

_**I'm not really moving your hand with my hand. I'm just making you think I am.**_ Dark cocked his head toward the board, reminding Daisuke that it was his move.

Daisuke moved a piece. "I don't get it."

_**All this form is, is a manifestation of my magical energy, right? **_Daisuke nodded. **_My energy can't interact with anything of this world because it has no substance. It's like how only you can hear me right now. I'm really just doing the same thing I always do, just making you think you really hear me and not just my thoughts. Following me so far?_**

"Yeah, but," Daisuke paused, and Dark nodded for him to continue. "If you can't really move my hand, then why make it look like you are?"

_**I thought it would freak you out less than if your hand just moved like always. King me.**_

"Again?" Daisuke pouted, but placed the extra chip on Dark's piece. "I thought you said you've never played before."

_**I haven't. **_Dark laughed, then jumped back to the previous subject.**_ Besides, it makes me feel like I'm actually playing._**

"I think you're really playing whether I can see you or not." Dark perked up at that, but Daisuke didn't see. "Especially if you're winning," Daisuke muttered sorely as he studied his three remaining pieces as if one of them would tell him how he could've stood the slimmest possibility of not losing. He picked a checker at random and moved it.

Dark smirked, swallowing a triumphant grin as he picked up his king to take another one of Daisuke's pieces, then promptly forgot to tell Daisuke's hand to continue to hold the piece as something vastly more important came up.

"Dark?" Daisuke glanced up to see Dark staring intently out the window.

_**Krad's awake.**_

"Oh." Daisuke put Dark's king back where it was before. "Can you tell what's happening?"

Dark continued to study the air beyond the window. _**Not really, but I can tell if he's worked up by how much energy he gives off.**_

"Is he?" Daisuke watched quietly for a few moments as Dark just sat there, probably tracking the changes in energy. "Will Hiwatari-kun be ok?"

Dark switched his attention to Daisuke with a confidant smile. _**Don't worry. I'd tell you if he was in any danger.**_ Dark watched a relieved smile spread across Daisuke's face and mentally kicked himself. Of course Hiwatari was going to get it―and he was going to get it good―but he knew very well that his favorite rival would rather let Krad kill him than be saved from him, especially by Daisuke or himself.

In all truth, Dark was well aware that there would be no rest for Satoshi for a while, and Krad would only keep him healthy so that the bastard could keep himself in top condition. So, Dark hadn't really lied. Satoshi wasn't in any real, physical danger. It was just that he probably wouldn't be smiling any time soon.

Daisuke was right.

Dark was the better liar.

* * *

Satoshi returned to school the next morning, and Daisuke the morning after, and for a while, Satoshi had thought that rumors would start circulating about their almost identical absence if not for the flu making its rounds through the school. While Satoshi was not particularly fond of the idea that his classmates were under the impression that he had been bedridden by such a common disease, it was much better than the disaster he had to avoid earlier that semester when there was no other excuse to be found.

He didn't know which was worse, the rumor that he had been ill, or the one that he had been in an accident while playing with fireworks with Niwa.

The day Satoshi had returned, Takeshi had approached him awkwardly spouting something about how his father told him to tell Satoshi to tell _his_ father that he thinks he understands what went wrong the other night and he is working to correct the situation. That of course, was Detective Saehara code for "My fax did not go through, and I will not tell my son I work for his classmate, so here's the short version until I can see you personally."

This speech was finished by a short "I don't know what he means, though", followed by a lengthy tirade about how he was a journalist, _not_ a messenger boy, and _yes_, there was a difference.

Satoshi had anticipated this―both the message and the rant. Saehara Jr. was terribly predictable―as he still had not replaced his fax machine since the last time it had been decimated. Krad held no fondness for modern technology that made annoying beeping noises while he and his host were sleeping.

Still, he wished Saehara Sr. would calm down and wait until he could go to the office on his own time instead of playing charades.

The annoyance the morning after was actually one he was used to.

"You're looking pretty good today, Hiwatari-kun." This was Niwa code for "Wow, for once, you don't look half-dead for the first week after returning to class."

"I seem to have built up a resistance to being severely injured." Satoshi turned a page in the book he was trying to enjoy through a constant, incurable headache (Krad) and Niwa's incessant, attention-starved antics.

"You ok? Dark said he woke up." Niwa code for "Krad's not going to come out and kill us all any time soon, right?" Or maybe it was genuine concern. Satoshi mixed them up sometimes when he didn't particularly care. Krad showed his annoyance by sending a high pitched squeal through Satoshi's ear. He flinched in perturbation and surprise. "Hiwatari-kun?"

"Not now, Niwa," Satoshi ground out as slowly and patiently as he could.

Daisuke understood and left, looking a little hurt and if Satoshi didn't know any better, he would have thought Daisuke was actually upset at Satoshi himself, and not the cause of all this. Satoshi pushed the thought aside with the knowledge that Daisuke was neither that weak nor that stupid and returned to his book.

And just as soon as Krad stopped bristling in the back of his head, he was able to see well enough to actually read it again.

* * *

Daisuke slumped over in his seat. _Krad's picking on Hiwatari-kun again._

Dark materialised on the desk, sitting cross-legged and looking down at his brain-mate. _**You say that like Krad's just a school bully.**_

Daisuke lifted his head off the desk and propped his chin up in the palm of his hand. _I know._ Those two words conveyed a lot of meaning when Dark considered the emotions that they held in them. Daisuke's making Krad out to be a smaller threat was just his way of coping with things. He played things down as harmless and normal because if he didn't, he'd probably go crazy. He knew it would be impossible to end things in a way no one was hurt, but that didn't mean he had to acknowledge it. _Krad's being really rough on him, though._

Dark rubbed Daisuke's hair as comfortingly as he could. _**I'm sure Creepy can take it. He's dealt with it this long.**_ Either Satoshi had glanced over or Krad had just sensed it, because the next time Dark looked over at Satoshi, Krad was kneeling behind him, hands grasping his shoulders possessively, and Satoshi was desperately trying to ignore the situation entirely. Dark, having nothing better to do, stuck out his tongue.

Dark grinned as he watched Krad shake his head as if thoroughly disappointed in his adversary, to which Dark's response was to flip Krad the bird. Krad frowned, and whispered something in Satoshi's ear. Satoshi swatted at him as if he were a fly and Dark continued to make faces.

Daisuke glanced up. _Dark?_

Dark glanced down. _**Yeah, partner?**_

Daisuke indicated the note that had been passed to him: "Please stop provoking the demon."

* * *

For what may have been the first time in his life, Satoshi was unable to concentrate during class. It wasn't like the day was particularly boring compared to the others, but it was also no more challenging. This again was saying nothing, because no subject of study had ever been challenging to him.

He wasn't surprised when his meticulous notes began do give way to mindless movements of his pen. Perfect handwriting went out the window in favor of small doodles of whatever caught his fancy at the time, probably the artist's blood stirring up within him.

Satoshi left himself a mental note to burn that particular sheet of paper later, just to be on the safe side.

It was then that a certain someone he could never escape returned his attentions to him. _**Satoshi-sama, what are you drawing?**_

Satoshi gave a half-hearted half-shrug. He'd lost interest in what his hand was doing minutes ago, letting it work without his conscious knowledge. _I don't know._

Krad leaned over his paper, still holding his form, if to do nothing more than annoy his host. _**Wherever have you seen this before?**_

Satoshi took interest. _To my knowledge, I have never seen it. Why? Does it mean something?_

Krad's gaze didn't waver, studying the nearly complete symbol adorning the terrible quality of the paper. Just as he thought, it simply wasn't possible that Satoshi could have ever seen it before, but there it was, plain as day and absolutely flawless. It could not have been a mere coincidence that Satoshi could replicate it so perfectly, and yet there was no explanation. All tangible records of that were destroyed decades ago.

Satoshi raised an eyebrow. _Krad?_

Krad ran a finger across it. _**It's my name.**_

Satoshi blinked. _I'm sorry?_

Even without any magic in it, Krad felt the symbol resonate with his being. _**It is my half of the Kokuyoku insignia.

* * *

**_When Satoshi made it back to his apartment, he pulled out every reference book that had the remotest chance of holding any information on the subject at hand. He'd combed through all of them several times each. If he had seen the symbol before, it had to be in his collection, or in the library at the mansion. "And you are absolutely sure there is no record of it?"

Krad reformed behind him, having retreated earlier to try to figure things out for himself. _**Of course I am. None of the surviving records go that far back.**_

Satoshi opened one of the more fragile ones anyway, so old it was still written almost entirely in the adopted Chinese characters. "I thought you said the war had only been going for three hundred years."

Krad ran a hand across the over-full bookshelf. _**The war, yes, but Kokuyoku itself is much older than that.**_

Satoshi paused in skimming through the tome and faced Krad. "What? But I was taught—"

—_**That Dark and I have been fighting for three hundred years, and that is true. Kokuyoku itself is much older than that, Satoshi-sama. Master Hikari only completed it. The Hikari were still on the mainland when the piece was started.**_

Satoshi racked his brain for everything he knew about his family history. "That—That would put _Kokuyoku_ at up to nearly seven hundred years old."

_**Precisely.**_

It didn't make sense. "Why did my ancestors stop?" Krad looked startled, and Satoshi knew he was getting very close to an important piece of the puzzle. "Why did it stand incomplete for centuries?"

_**Because Master Hikari was the only one strong enough to finish the ultimate masterpiece.**_ Krad's narcissism knew no bounds.

Satoshi knew the real answer. His ancestor was the only desperate enough or crazy enough to finish something the early Hikari knew better than to complete. He also knew that there was something missing, and that that something was vital. "What else?" Krad hummed in question. "What else do you know about it that you aren't telling me?"

Krad grinned. _**I keep nothing from you, Satoshi-sama. I've told you everything I know.**_

Liar. "I know you, Krad, and I know that you were made from _Kokuyoku_, and that should put you at full knowledge of exactly what it is, and why it was made. Now there is something I should know that you are keeping from me, and I want to know what it is."

Krad couldn't have been prouder of his host, but he also could not have wanted to share information with him any less. _**Why don't you ask Dark? After all, he's the one who Kokuyoku released first.**_

Krad dissolved into nothingness, and Satoshi was left to wonder why he felt Krad's last words were the most important bit of information yet.

* * *

A/N: Ooooh, something suspicious is going on! I wonder what it could be? Oh, the suspense, suspense!

Why do I feel like I'm trying to show off by flaunting knowledge? Now I feel like a bad person.

Anyway, now I have more planning to do story-wise. I have the last three planned chapters on notebook paper in my room. Now if I could only get that far.

Do you know what helps me write faster? Reviews! They are a vast encouragement. You ought to leave one!

Moroi... out!


	10. Over something that I did

A/N: Hello! How have you been? Have you been enjoying yourself recently? The weather's been pretty good recently, right? So you've all been outside enjoying yourselves, right? Not shutting yourselves in waiting for the next release, right?

Because we all know I never update on time, right? Heh heh.

This one is not nearly as heavy as the last couple chapters, I think. Or if it is heavy, it's heavy in a different way. A lighter way.

That made no sense at all.

This chapter is a little shorter, I think, but all that matters is that it's enjoyable right? Something like the length shouldn't matter so much as long as the story as a whole is pretty good, right?

I'm talking too much.

I'm thinking about setting up a Twitter account, but I'm not sure I'd post updates often enough for it to matter. I'll mention it on my profile if/when I get one and in the following updates, so watch for it!

* * *

Daisuke was actually enjoying the show he'd found on TV that afternoon about as much as Dark was. Usually Dark preferred things like wrestling and cartoons, while Daisuke preferred the soap operas—a secret he carefully kept from his mother. However, this time it was the best of both worlds.

_**Yes! Hit him again!**_

_Dark, it's just a show._

_**I want the tall guy—**_

_Hashimoto._

—_**to hit the ugly guy again.**_

_Matsuzaki; and Dark, it's a drama. They probably won't—_

_**Ooh! Did you see that? Right across the face!**_

Daisuke held in a chuckle. Dark usually found Daisuke's shows boring until someone got into a fight, even if they were poorly done. The phone rang next to him and he picked it up without thinking. "Hello?"

"_Niwa, I need to speak with you. Come outside._"

"Wha—but!" The line went dead and Daisuke let out a long sigh. _What would he have done if mom picked up the phone?_

_**Daisuke, I'm pretty sure Creepy knew you were gonna pick it up.**_

Daisuke shook his head, not wanting to acknowledge the fact that Dark was probably right. He was too comfortable to want to get up, but the fact that Satoshi had called and was obviously just outside meant it was fairly urgent and could not just wait until they saw each other in class tomorrow. Daisuke flinched as he stood, still sore from the last heist, and snuck out the front door where Satoshi was waiting just off the property. "Hey there, Hiwatari-kun."

Satoshi was not one for small-talk and passed Daisuke a sheet of paper. "Does this seem familiar to you?"

Daisuke stared at the symbol on the paper, and the image of another floated across his mind. He felt Dark's mood change as he studied the image as well. _Do you recognize it, Dark?_

_**Yeah.**_ There was no fondness in Dark's voice as he stared through Daisuke's eyes at what could have been the devil itself for all the hatred he held for it.

It gave Daisuke a chill, and he had to wonder how much significance the doodle had. "Dark says he knows it."

This didn't seem to please Satoshi at all. In fact, his mood seemed to darken as well. "Can he tell me what it means?"

Dark frowned._** Let me talk to him, Daisuke. **_Daisuke didn't put up a fight and Dark slid to the front of their consciousness while keeping Daisuke's body on the outside. The last thing they needed was for one of their nosy neighbors to witness a transformation.

Satoshi didn't waste any time acknowledging the switch. "Is Niwa listening?" He ignored Krad as he cursed vehemently at not being released, giving what Satoshi felt to be a half-hearted fight for release.

Dark looked up as if in thought while he slowly blocked his partner out, ignoring Daisuke's objections. This wasn't something he needed to know anything about anyway. "Not any more, but he's not happy about it."

"Krad tells me that it is his name from Kokuyoku, nothing else." Satoshi frowned and Dark had to wonder when Satoshi had gotten enough control that he would be able to withstand Krad long enough to be able to come over and speak with them without straining to hold the demon back. "He's lying."

"It's all the traits he inherited from it," Dark traced each stroke in turn, interpreting every line as he went. "It's light, justice, retribution, obsession, greed, and—" Dark paused. Most of the other traits translated easily from the dead language, but the last term didn't really have a concrete meaning to it as it was, much less was it easily translatable. "I guess you could call it determination. All the old Hikari works are marked with symbols like these."

Satoshi committed the ideas to memory. "Are any of them still alive?"

Dark shrugged. "A few, but most of them were destroyed. There's Krad and me, a couple paintings, and I know there's some knife still around." Dark knew precisely where that knife was now, and he wasn't about to go near it. He had a feeling Satoshi knew which knife he was referring to as well. "We have a book on them in the basement."

"Is there any way I could see it?" If he were completely honest, Satoshi would admit that he had an interest in every last book in the Niwa's keeping to say the very least. The Hikari records were gradually destroyed by fires, art, and the Hikari themselves, but the Niwas had the tendency to preserve anything they ever jotted down, and when in doubt, they just stole one from the Hikari and kept it for safe-keeping. By now, the Niwa achieves had to be far more extensive than his own, even if his had information on works the Niwas didn't even know existed.

It was frustrating, really, to know that he let Niwa have access to his library—even if Niwa didn't actually know that Satoshi would let him borrow them with the promise of the book actually coming back—while he would probably be killed on his way to glance at the Niwa's vast collection.

As much as the thought of smuggling Satoshi down to the basement without anyone noticing amused Dark, it wasn't the brightest idea. "I'll make sure it ends up in Daisuke's backpack for tomorrow."

It was better than nothing. "Thank you." No matter how much he had been taught to hate Dark, it was hard to maintain that mindset when they weren't out trying to kill each other. "I have another question." Dark leaned against the fence that surrounded the yard. "Krad explained to me that Kokuyoku was completed 300 years ago, but that it's creation began almost 700 years ago. Why did my ancestors stop, and why did Shuuta finish it?"

Dark didn't like this subject at all and wondered grudgingly why Krad had to let Satoshi know things like that. "I can't tell you that."

It was frustrating, but Satoshi could accept that. He doubted there was any positive memory Dark could have about Kokuyoku. "Then how about this: Krad mentioned something about you being released first. What was that?"

"I wasn't released; it just happened." Dark looked up into the tree shading the walkway if only to have something to look at other than Satoshi. "When Akihiro—he was the first Niwa thief—interrupted the ceremony to activate Us, Shuuta messed up, and I ended up as part of the Niwa line. Shuuta had Kokuyoku release Krad to hunt me down and bring me back."

"I take it you don't want to go back," Satoshi commented, slowly piecing it all together and feeling Krad objecting to his staying any longer in his mind. He didn't care whether Krad wanted him to hear it or not; this was important.

Dark saw the first signs of struggle on Satoshi's face and knew their conversation time was up, which suited him just fine. A little longer and Dark probably would have told him everything. "No sane being would want to stay trapped in something like that."

* * *

Satoshi made sure the door to his apartment had been shut firmly before he allowed a grimace to surface on his face. The migraine Krad had been causing since he left to seek Dark out had only been getting worse since it began. He would have never guessed Krad would be so petty. "Knock it off, Krad. You're the one who told me to ask him."

_**I did not think you would actually stoop to begging for information from that bastard.**_

Satoshi shook his head. He hadn't even been close to begging. "If you had simply answered me from the beginning, I never would have gone."

_**There are some things about Us that you are not ready to know, Satoshi-sama.**_ Satoshi could only think of how typical it was of Krad to be so jealous of something so mundane as a conversation. It wasn't like he really got anything out of Dark, either. There was further information on the symbol, a couple names he barely recognized, and a confirmation on some theories he'd already held.

The real answers would come tomorrow, and those he would find by himself.

* * *

It was a couple hours before Daisuke even thought about talking to Dark again. What could the two of them talk about that he wasn't allowed to hear? So what if Satoshi was embarrassed or something, it wasn't like Daisuke was useless. He could do something to help, too.

All these thoughts distracted Daisuke from his homework as he sat at his desk, twirling his pen in his hand instead of concentrating on math problems he didn't know how to work out anyway.

What had happened between Dark and Satoshi earlier bothered him, and not just because he had been left out again. Dark had been getting into the bad habit of blocking Daisuke out when there was something he wanted to keep secret, and it was fine when Dark wanted to just think by himself. The fact that Dark needed to have conversations with other people without him hearing, and not being able to just wait until he was asleep like he used to do worried him.

Everything that had been happening recently worried him. Finding Krad's art collection, almost being killed by Krad the other night, Dark's and Satoshi's odd behavior, and even the fact that Kosuke and Daiki had been really quiet recently.

It seemed like everyone knew something he didn't, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got, until he groaned and threw the pen straight across the room.

_**Calm down, Dai, it's only math.**_ He wasn't just being left out, it seemed he was being ignored, too.

"What did you guys talk about?" Well, that shut Dark up. "Is it something you have to hide from me?"

Dark sighed, running a hand through his hair. _**It's not like that.**_

Daisuke leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "Does it have to do with that symbol he showed us?"

_**It's not my place to tell you.**_ Daisuke let out a questioning hum. **_Hiwatari's the one who asked me to block you out. If you want to know that bad, then ask him tomorrow._** In all honesty, Kokuyoku was not something Dark wanted to discuss with Daisuke just yet, anyway. It wasn't the focus right now, and they had a lot more immediate things to deal with than something no one's seen in centuries.

* * *

Kosuke shut the book before him soundly. He wasn't getting anywhere with all the research he had been doing. Even the tomes that had been acquired from the Hikari weren't doing him any good. There were simply no references to soul-capturing or how the previous Hikari actually died.

There were only some consistencies between the generations that had to be more than mere coincidences. While the Niwa line was pretty normal throughout history, the Hikari had several recurring traits.

Each generation had a slightly shorter lifespan; each only had one child or in one instance, a set of twins with records only on the elder; there was no records of any infant mortality; and if he were assume the portraits were accurate, each generation had slightly lighter hair as far back as their records went—or rather, as far back as he could actually interpret them. The records from before what the government referred to as Cultural Cleansing were often too damaged to be useful in this matter and only kept as references to specific art pieces, or were simply too old for him to make any sense of it. He was an archaeologist, not a linguist.

It made him wonder why they even bothered to keep such old books, when no one in the house would understand them. Emiko could read the spells only because that knowledge was handed down quite specifically, and Daiki wasn't much better. Kosuke had no idea whether Dark could read them or not, but he got the distinct feeling that Dark would not help him in this investigation.

Resigning to the fact that he had done all he could, Kosuke stood to replace the book on the shelf, and found another was missing. Strange, he hadn't noticed anyone else come down.

* * *

Emiko grinned at the television as the news continued. From what she heard of the earlier report, it sounded like there was going to be an announcement relating to Dark, and she was right, but the mood of the report ruined the rest of her night.

"_An anonymous contributer has donated a number of portraits, claiming them to be of each member of the renowned artist family, the Hikari. In the wake of recent heists, the police are scrambling to discover any leads relating to the famous pilferer Phantom Dark. While very little is known about the thief, police are reporting that there is a high chance that he will be going after the series of paintings soon to be on display in the local museum, the next of which will be released to the museum tomorrow afternoon.__ The police report that they will defend the portraits to the best of their ability, and do everything they can to assure the security of all the art within the city, but the museum curator has his doubts._

"_In an exclusive interview, Mr. Takeuchi has reported that not only are the paintings being stolen on a regular basis, but that there is evidence of extreme violence taking place during the heists, with some displays smashed, and large amounts of blood being left behind._

"_Meanwhile, no bodies have been discovered, nor have there been any matching hospitalizations in the area. The police are urging extreme caution during the nights of the heists and ask that civilians remain indoors and report any suspicious activity to police._

"_We will be continuing our coverage of events as they unfold in 'Phantom Dark: Thief or Worse?'"

* * *

_A/N: See? Not quite as heavy. Maybe a little ominous, but not dreadful, right?

Reviews are tastey and essential to a healthy diet! Help me survive until I can update again!


	11. You spread all of your lies around

A/N: Well, what do you know? A chapter out early! Who would've thought?

This all came to me pretty easy, and I figured it was a waste to have it just sit here with me, so I posted it for you guys. (Even though I haven't done any real editing at all to most of it...)

On an unrelated note, I have a Twitter now. You can find the link in my profile if you are interested.

* * *

Satoshi noticed Daisuke walk in the room but didn't even look up. He knew the boy would want to talk to him, and he'd let him come at his own pace. Luckily for Satoshi, Daisuke's pace seemed to be here and now, anyway. "Hiwatari-kun?" Not even a greeting; yesterday's talk must have stressed him out. Satoshi folded his book shut and gave Niwa his attention. "What did you and—" Daisuke stopped himself, remembering they were in the classroom "—you two talk about yesterday?"

Daisuke's question proved to Satoshi that Dark could be trusted with at least some things. He had half-expected that Dark would have told Daisuke something. "Niwa, if I wanted you to know, I would have let you listen." Daisuke looked a little hurt, and Satoshi really hated feeling like the bad guy. "Besides, he didn't give me any real information on the matter. Just things I already knew, really."

"Oh," Satoshi didn't expect his last sentence to placate Daisuke as much as it did, and he suspected Dark was actually helping Satoshi's case. Why, he didn't know, and he didn't waste his time thinking about it. "Well, just don't leave me out of everything, ok? I might be able to help, too."

"I'll keep that in mind." Daisuke noted that Satoshi was being rather distant this morning. When Dark suggested that it had something to do with Krad, Daisuke had to agree. He could imagine that Krad hadn't been entirely pleased that Satoshi had come to them with questions. Satoshi had to be getting more resilient since he was actually _in class_ today and not recuperating at home.

Daisuke suddenly remembered something and started rummaging through his bag. "Oh, Dar—he said I'm supposed to give this to you." Daisuke produced the worn-out book and Satoshi accepted it gingerly, being especially careful to support the tattered volume completely, as if it would turn to dust in his hands.

"Thank you, Niwa." Satoshi turned over the cover and glanced at the first page, finding his suspicions confirmed. The book was old enough to be written in classical Chinese, and it would take him a while to sort through it when he noted the state of the book as he flipped through it. Most of the pages were damaged in some form and there were many characters smudged out, with some pages torn or missing entirely.

Daisuke glanced at the pages curiously. "Wow, you can read that?"

Satoshi gave him a look that read: You can't? It only confirmed his suspicions that the Niwa family wasn't that big on educating their heirs. The fact that Daisuke didn't seem to have a clue made him wonder if Dark was even literate, to which Krad strangely had no comment about. "I have to if I want to make sense of most of the books our families possess." He turned a couple more pages before closing the book carefully. "I'll be making my own copy and will send this back when I'm done. Try not to let your mother know."

Daisuke gulped nervously. "Yeah. That'd be kinda bad."

Daisuke looked like he was about to walk away, but Satoshi had one more piece of information for him, a sort of apology for not being very open. "Another one of those portraits are being released today. I imagine you'll be kept busy for a while."

Daisuke groaned. If Satoshi was saying what he thought he was saying, then they were planning on displaying several of them over the coming weeks. "Thanks for the heads-up."

"Don't mention it."

* * *

When Daisuke was finished with the traps, improvised training, and exuberant praise from his mother, he thought he was all clear to head upstairs and do his homework, and then he found his father smiling at him from the living room couch. Daisuke chuckled nervously and headed over, having a feeling he knew exactly what the following conversation would be about. "Hey, dad. What's up?"

Kosuke kept his genial manner, wanting to let Daisuke know that whatever was going on, Kosuke wasn't upset at all, simply curious. "Nothing much. I was just wondering if you knew what happened to one of the books in the library. I can't seem to find it anywhere."

Daisuke looked over his shoulder and found Emiko to be busy with ruining dinner. He should be fine if he avoided a few buzzwords she seemed to be able to hear from two blocks away. "_We_'re letting you-know-who borrow it for research or something."

"Alright," Kosuke smiled and ruffled Daisuke's hair as he made to get off the couch. He had to get back to his research. "Leave me a note next time. I was worried that your mother had accidentally cooked it last night." That brought a chuckle out of his son, and Kosuke was relieved. He knew the topic would sound like Daisuke was in trouble, no matter how he worded it. "I'm glad you two are getting along so well."

"Me, too," Daisuke chirped back before Kosuke disappeared back into the basement.

* * *

Satoshi stretched from his place on the couch. He already had three notebooks going and he was only half-way through the first page of the book he had loaned from Daisuke. The first was a direct transcription as a copy for himself, the second was a direct translation for ease of reading, and the third (and so far the longest) was full of notes on implied meanings, things to look into later, and characters he was uncertain in the meaning of that he couldn't locate in the large dictionary he had laid out on the low table as well.

Then there was the book itself, positioned directly before him. Before he had even begun, he had treated it to some of the restoration and preservation spells he knew that would not mark the volume, nor leave a trace of his magic for Emiko to find later, and that had improved its condition enough for him to be sure turning the pages alone would not destroy it.

So far, there was nothing truly note-worthy, as the beginning was just an introduction, and some background on how the book came to be. He knew all this already; a Hikari wrote it in his narcissism and desire to ensure his future offspring were not ignorant. It seemed to be leading up to a short family history, as Hikari books tended to do, and Satoshi planned on paying special attention to that. A lot of his family's history was lost and shrouded in mystery, and he knew from experience that things that may have been insignificant to his ancestors became of dire importance generations later.

He could name two of them off the top of his head: _Kokuyoku_, which had been left for his ancestor Shuuta to find, and _Argentine_, which had been noted as being destroyed and had come back to wreak havoc on them just a couple weeks ago. At least Argentine proved to be useful. Satoshi had willfully given him over to the Niwa for the specific purpose of repairing the works Satoshi had no access to, and to give him reports of what exactly the Niwas possessed.

So far there were no surprises in that area. There were some things that had been recorded as missing that had fallen into Niwa hands, but he had always suspected such things had happened, and everything that he had recorded as in his possession had yet to show up in their basement. Apparently, the Niwas had been doing their best to preserve the art they acquired, and Argentine was either doing complex and tedious repairs way beyond the thieving family's skill level, or simply cleaning and polishing.

Satoshi was thankful for that, at least, but he wished they had given the books the same level of care as he turned the page and noted it was rather washed-out. Maybe he'd have Argentine and Daisuke sneak him a few more books while he was at it.

_**They are quite neglected, aren't they Satoshi-sama?**_ And here Satoshi thought he had been having a private brainstorm.

_The Niwa usually weren't the most learned people, Krad. You know that._ The ones who married into the family were usually a different story, but normal people could only do so much.

_**Why don't you just keep the book? You could do so much to preserve it.**_

The idea was tempting. _No, I promised Niwa he could have it back. If I break that, then I doubt he'll continue to allow me access to his library. Even if he does, if I hold them for safekeeping, Niwa's mother would eventually notice._ Krad didn't have a retort for that; even he could see the benefits of this relationship. _It's not like the actual books are significant. Just the information within._ The book before it had been long drained of any magic it had held before. It was completely harmless as it was.

_**That is where you are wrong, Satoshi-sama. **_Satoshi looked up from the page as a silent invitation for Krad to continue. **_A great number of the books your ancestors wrote have information one cannot uncover by simply reading._**

Satoshi ran a finger down the page, mulling over what Krad said, and has his finger came in contact with a particular character—not significant in any other way than as a grammar particle—it resonated, just barely registering in Satoshi's consciousness. He touched it again with a sense of awe in both that his ancestors had accomplished such a feat, and that the book could still respond in its essentially dead state. _A magical inscription._

_**Precisely. **_Krad smiled from his prison as Satoshi pulled a fourth notebook from beneath the table. He had accomplished exactly what he had meant to, and now it was up to Satoshi to interpret it all.**_ Happy researching, Satoshi-sama._** Krad's presence faded away, and Satoshi started from the beginning anew, running his finger down every line of text and jotting down every responsive character, more interested in the book than he had ever been before.

* * *

It was as Satoshi had predicted, and the next afternoon, Daisuke found himself suiting up to steal yet another one of the artworks rightfully belonging to his best friend's family. The knowledge of that bothered him, but he had learned to ignore it, as every time he complained to his mother, she always won the argument that followed—if for no other reason than the fact that she always made sense. The Hikari artworks were dangerous, and the Hikari weren't actively silencing them. What they did was just short of saving the world.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Daisuke wondered if this was changing. Satoshi was obviously taking a sharp interest in his family's work, and unintentional as it was, Satoshi did what most of his ancestors had not: he killed a painting. It was easy for Daisuke to imagine that Satoshi would continue on his path and he would no longer need to steal from him. After all, what his family did was almost the same thing, right?

_**Not quite.**_ Dark spoke up from their mind for the first time in hours. Both of them had been on edge about having to deal with another one of those portraits, especially after what had happened last time.

_How is it different? Sure it looks different in the end, but we both make them harmless, right?_

Dark didn't know whether to be in awe of Daisuke's innocence or to hit him over the head for it. _**Ok, Dai, tell me what it is we do.**_

_We seal them._

_**Good.**_ Daisuke wasn't sure he liked Dark's tone, but he dealt with it. **_Now tell me what Hiwatari did._**

_He—he killed it, but I don't see what's so different about it. Either way, its never alive again._

Ah, so that was where Daisuke was missing it. _**Dai, what we do is freeze the art the way it is and suck the magic out of it, so it stays like that forever. It doesn't move, it doesn't kill people; it just exists. Hiwatari didn't just take out the magic. He forcibly removed the soul from that painting and released it and its magic from being bound to that painting, and that's what made it turn white. It's white because it's completely empty.**_

That was less than encouraging. _So afterwards, the soul is free, right?_ Dark confirmed that with a word. _Then, isn't what we're doing cruel? I mean, isn't it terrible that the soul is trapped there and never do anything again?_

This was always the hardest part. _**Dai, if we released the soul, not only would the art be destroyed, but the soul would be free to do as it wants, and that's a problem. It can fuse with another painting, or if it manages to retain its magic, it can possess people, and just do a whole lot of damage. Sealing it is safer and a lot more responsible.**_

_I still think it's cruel._ Daisuke checked to make sure their belt had everything one final time before allowing the transformation, and Dark didn't say anything more. They had gotten extremely lucky last time that the spirit of Hikari Rio was content to just float away. He knew a few ancestors that would do a lot worse, given the chance. Dark quite frankly did not want to risk it, and neither did any of the Niwa adults. Daisuke would come to understand it, too. He just had to.

Dark made his way downstairs and after heartfelt urges from Emiko to be careful and to come home safe, he flew off to steal the _Portrait of Hikari Seki_.

* * *

Dark alighted the balcony after his well-timed power outage, lacking some of the confidence he held in previous heists. It was clear that these portraits were to be treated with caution, if only for the simple fact that they were the Hikari themselves, and that fact that it was Krad who painted them. Dark knew from experience that the artist would always have control over his art with very few exceptions. He didn't want to imagine the situation where art and artist worked together to do him in.

Either the very wind wanted him to hurry along or someone inside was getting impatient, because the window blew open in front of him, revealing the room he needed and the one person always sent to stop him. At least Dark could see him this time. Dark locked eyes with Satoshi and grinned. "Enjoying my book, Commander?"

Satoshi kept a chuckle to himself, feeling up to a little banter. "It is very interesting. I may have to keep it longer than I thought."

Dark strolled into the room leisurely, keeping all hints of trepidation off his face. "Why? Is it a good read?"

"You could say that," Satoshi allowed. As much as Dark's help was appreciated, any and all knowledge he discovered himself was his to keep, and that included the inscription.

Dark sucked his teeth. "I never could stand all that boring history s—" It was as though he hit a hidden wall, and he bounced off it, landing sitting and rubbing his throbbing nose. "Ah, shit! What was that? You could've warned me if you were using shields and shit like that."

Satoshi, amused as he was, was caught just as off-guard. "It wasn't me."

Realization dawned on the both of them and Dark had barely enough time to raise his arms to block when the painting flung something he couldn't see directly at him, throwing him almost all the way back out the window.

_**Dark! What's going on?**_

Dark really wished Daisuke wouldn't fret when he was working, especially over a little wind. The magic within the painting pulsed as if to say "so there" and did nothing else. _That damn painting won't let me get close. _He stood, trying to find a solution. There had to be a way for him to get that thing without it constantly pushing him away.

Satoshi regarded Dark for a moment after he flew back and decided the thief wasn't in immediate danger, and instead turned inward to check for signs of Krad. So far, there were no whispers, no fights for release, just a few quiet magical spikes that seemed to coincide with the paintings actions. He couldn't just ignore it. _What are you doing?_

_**Why, I'm doing nothing, Satoshi-sama. I thought I could let you handle this one.**_

Satoshi decided now was not the time to argue it. If Krad wanted to play games, he could play games. A jovial Krad was a lot easier to handle than a murderous one.

Besides, it seemed Dark was in quite a predicament, and Satoshi laid a hand along the frame of the portrait. "Having a little trouble, are we, Mousey?"

The next burst of magic was much less a burst than it was a sudden connection so strong Satoshi could hear an audible hum, connecting Krad within him to the painting and Satoshi understood immediately that not suppressing Krad had been a huge mistake.

Dark scowled at Satoshi, ready to fling back a retort when he felt the link forming between Seki and the space that both was and was not Satoshi. All at once, Krad flared up, jump-starting what had originally been a mostly dormant work of art, and sending Satoshi reeling with a muffled yelp. Dark cursed as the link remained strong even after the physical contact was broken.

Daisuke began to panic in the back of his mind and Dark slowly tuned him out. The last thing he needed was to have to deal with a panic attack right now. He could sense Krad and the painting both churning, barely contained in their respective barriers.

Dark made his move and muttering an apology to Daisuke, he washed himself with enough magic to break through the earlier shield and yanked the painting off the stand before Satoshi had the capacity to react. With Seki secure in his grasp, Dark turned tail and headed back to the window, ignoring the burning of his hands as he ran. He had to put as much physical distance between Krad and the painting as possible. It was too risky to seal it now while it was obviously connected to Krad. There was the possibility that altering the state of the painting in any way would affect Krad and in turn affect himself or Satoshi as well.

Wyth was waiting for him on the rail and attached himself to Dark's back as he launched himself off the balcony, not caring to put on a show for the awaiting police and reporters. Slowly, he realized Daisuke was still shouting at him, asking why it felt like Dark was in pain, demanding that they go back and check on Satoshi, and Dark proceeded to ignore him.

When Dark was almost home and starting to wonder if Krad was pursuing them, he felt the connection snap and exhaled an exhausted sigh of relief. When the portrait calmed back into dormancy, Dark decided that he could let Emiko deal with the painting when he landed. He was just too tired.

* * *

Emiko frowned as she finished wrapping Dark's hands. She hated dealing with burns; they got infected so easily. "And you're _sure_ Krad joined with it?"

"Yes," Dark answered for what felt to be the thousandth time. "It was almost like they were feeding off each other or powering up for some attack."

"Powering up..." Emiko's eyebrows gathered in thought and she pursed her lips. "Could you tell if they were using any spells or preparing for one?"

Dark resisted the urge to groan, only because he knew that Emiko's concept of magic was strongly based in spells, not the idea of magic by itself. "I didn't feel any. This connection felt—primitive, nothing like what He normally pulls. It was almost like it was forged unconsciously. On pure, basic instinct."

Emiko hummed as she considered what was going on. Everything had felt strange during the heist, and Dark's explanation helped her to understand what she had been unable to see, but it didn't help her to worry less. Ever since they stole the first portrait, things had been much to strange for her tastes. "Has the Hikari boy been any different?" Dark paused and Emiko caught it, piercing him with anxious eyes. "Dark, has he changed since—since that happened?"

Dark sighed, pushing hair out of his face with his wrist, unable to make use of his hands. "A lot of this is second-hand, alright? I don't know everything." Emiko nodded. "He seems less dead than before, and he was able to hold Krad back until we got out of there, even with him getting power from that painting, and—" Dark cut off, and Emiko nodded for him to continue. "He somehow uncovered part of the symbol for _Kokuyoku_. I don't know how."

Emiko bit the tip of her thumb in worry. If Satoshi was getting stronger, there was a good chance Krad would become stronger because of it. There was always the chance that it was a temporary reaction to completing what she understood to be the Hikari duty, or psychosomatic from some decision he'd made since then, but she found it harder and harder to believe that the more she thought it. After all, Daisuke had reported to her that he'd recovered from the previous heist much quicker than usual.

She liked it better when Daisuke had brought him over weak and deteriorating.

Worry began to build up to panic, and Emiko stood, unable to take it any longer. "I'll see what's taking Dad so long with the painting."

* * *

Kei strode into the site of the theft before he allowed anyone else to enter. He trusted his instincts when they told him letting the police investigate the scene just yet would be troublesome, and they were right. He found his son, curled up on the floor, clutching at his chest and heaving ragged breaths, apparently still struggling to keep Krad contained.

Kei doubted Satoshi was even aware he was there until he was standing less than a foot away, when Satoshi shot him a defiant look, as if blaming him for all the trouble he was having. Kei let a sickly smile cross his face. "You've lost another one, haven't you, Satoshi?" His son was only able to grit his teeth and release a strangled grunt in return. Both he and Krad seemed determined tonight. "You'll have to do better next time."

With that, Kei exited the room, announcing to Saehara that Satoshi was not yet finished with the investigation and would require privacy until his work was complete, leaving Satoshi to fight yet another battle alone.

* * *

Daiki frowned. He had originally thought that this would be just a routine sealing, but the painting didn't respond to any of the normal spells. As a matter of fact, it wasn't responding to any combination of magic or charms. Oh, it reacted—at one point flinging Daiki across the room—but nothing he did seemed to have any effect, and the painting of Seki seemed to smirk at him, looking down at him like she had when she had been alive.

Frankly, it made Daiki remember just why he despised her in the first place.

Nearly an hour later, he still wasn't getting anywhere. Quite the contrary, he found himself reverting to a style of thinking he had thought he had abandoned a while ago. Realizing this, he decided it was time to hand the reins to someone he thought might have a little more luck. "What do you make of it, Argentine?"

Argentine peered at the painting, studying her with a mix of awe and detachment as he viewed the portrait from all angles, eventually running a hand down the frame as if there was some meaning to it, though Daiki himself couldn't detect any changes. "_She_ is awake."

She was awake. Of course she was awake. That was the problem. "Yes, now why can't I seal her?"

Argentine looked at him curiously, as if the answer was obvious. "Because She is awake. She can not be sealed because She is resisting. She does not want to be here." All these seemed very obvious and Daiki had to wonder why Argentine bothered saying any of it. "She is stronger than you."

Daiki decided he didn't care anymore why he couldn't do it. All that mattered now was that someone sealed her so they could all go to sleep in peace. "Can you do anything about it?"

Argentine blinked owlishly, then turned back to the painting, moving his hand to have more contact with the frame, but careful not to brush against the canvas lest he damage her. He stood like that for a minute, maintaining eye-contact with the woman in the painting. Just when Daiki thought he'd have to wake him up, Argentine's head bobbed to the side. "She is waiting."

"Waiting? For who?"

Argentine faced Daiki fully. "Her Creator. She says He will come for Her."

* * *

A/N: Ooh! The danger! Ooh! The suspense! Ah, it's killing us!

Probably not, though.

Well, leave me a review, and don't forget to check out my Twitter if you're interested!


	12. But I don't care what you said

A/N: Wow, I'm just churning these out recently, haven't I? This chapter is only three parts long, but it has all the suspense and action and emotion of any other chapter, I hope. (Actually, I hope it has more than some of my recent chapters. I've been boring people).

No real explanations in this chapter, so no long, boring stuff. For those who have trouble remembering events after long breaks in updates, I have a factsheet running on my blog with important points on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

I don't have much for ideas on the next chapter, so this may be the last for a while, but I hope not.

(What I really need to do is get the next chapter of _Ikite-Yuku_ going. I still have nothing written down.)

Ah, I'm babbling. On with the chapter!

* * *

Deep within the museum, Satoshi's struggles began to slowly wane until he was all but still on the marble floor. He laid there for a moment, regaining his bearings. That had been a lot more difficult than he had anticipated, and he had to wonder why the police had not entered the room yet. Then he remembered who had, and knew precisely why.

Cursing, Satoshi pushed himself to his feet and stared down at the glasses discarded on the ground. They were so small and so weak, but so very very good at what they were supposed to do. He bent down to pick them up and was met with a harsh shock, and Satoshi dropped them and they shattered.

He breathed a short chuckle, deciding it was of no matter any more and strolled out to inform the police that he was retiring for the night, and as he passed Saehara, the detective wondered why he had always thought Satoshi's eyes were blue before.

Krad marveled at just how easy it was to fool these modern peace keepers as he switched into his real body just outside the museum. It was pathetic, really, how much they were trusted when they couldn't even identify a facsimile in their midst. Not that it mattered; it just made his life easier in the end. Fully transformed and at nearly full strength, Krad sought out the dwindling remains of the rudimentary connection he had formed earlier in the evening and followed it. Tonight, Krad would begin a new chapter in the Hikari history, even if he had to slay every last one of them to do it.

* * *

Daisuke woke without really knowing why. As far as he could tell, no noise or movement had startled him awake, and he was tired enough to sleep through most of his classes tomorrow. Instead of drifting back to sleep, something in his subconscious forced him into a state of awareness where he could at least process what was going on around him, and it was at that moment that he realized something had to be up.

For a moment, he thought to wake Dark, and hesitated. It wasn't as if he was sensing any danger—for all he knew he was just psyching himself out—and the thief was both injured and exhausted. Daisuke frowned and decided to only call Dark if he really needed him as he slid out of bed and just listened.

He could hear nothing to indicate that anything unusual was going on. In fact, the only thing out of the ordinary was the slight prickling sensation at the back of his skull. The longer he stood there, the more he convinced himself he was just being paranoid, but his instincts were telling him to at least check.

Daisuke sighed, knowing that if he wanted any more sleep that night, he'd have to assure himself that everything was alright and began to search the house (skipping the adults' rooms so as not to wake them; he knew those rooms all had charms activated that would indicate intrusions, anyway). The top floor checked out and he descended the stairs, careful not to use the third step from the top, as the creak from that would wake even the dead.

The front door was still locked and the living room windows shut, and Daisuke turned. The basement door was slightly ajar, and there was a light behind it. Of course, it could've just been Kosuke pulling one of his all-nighters, but Kosuke always locked the door when he did. Cautiously, Daisuke peered through the door, expecting to find his dad coming or going, or maybe his mom or grandpa checking on him, or even Towa or Argentine doing some maintenance.

What he saw made Daisuke cover his mouth to cover his squeak and promptly scuttle out of sight, starting to hyperventilate. Krad. Krad was in the basement. Drawing shuddering breaths, Daisuke peaked again, just to be sure his mind wasn't paying tricks on him, and he barely caught a glimpse of that long, blond hair as Krad disappeared around the corner.

Daisuke pressed himself against the wall, shaking like a leaf and beginning to panic. Krad was here, in their house. And not only was he here, he had managed to make it into the basement without setting off any alarms. This was bad; this was so very, very bad. He could hear small sounds as Krad obviously began searching for something, or messing with something, or finding everything he needed. When Daisuke thought of everything that Krad could possibly use that they kept down there, and to what extent, he felt his face turn cold as the blood drained away.

It was more than Daisuke could handle alone.

_Dark? Dark, wake up!_

Dark stirred and for a moment, Krad's movements stopped and Daisuke feared that he had sensed them. Daisuke put all he had in him to praying they weren't discovered as Dark slowly came around, and the sounds of rummaging began again. _**What is it?**_

_It's Krad!_ Daisuke's inner voice broke in panic. _Krad's here! He's in the basement. _Dark cursed in the back of their mind and that didn't help to settle Daisuke's nerves._ W-what do we do?_

Dark wondered why Krad hadn't come up for them yet. Surely Krad would have sensed him waking up and would have rushed up to kill him before he was ready to fight. Then he sensed Daisuke suppressing their energy. He didn't know if Daisuke even knew what he was doing, or if it had just come in instinct, but the hows didn't matter. It was probably the only reason they were still alive. _**I want you to do your best to sneak up behind Krad, and be ready to transform in a hurry, but not until I give the signal. It'll hurt, but we'll need the element of surprise. Don't worry about everyone else; they'll sense it and got out.**_

Dark's calm, steady voice was simultaneously reassuring and worrying to Daisuke. Dark had a plan, but it was very serious and very dangerous and both of them knew it. Daisuke didn't understand why they had to wait for so long to switch, but he trusted Dark's judgement. He concentrated on his breathing, doing everything he could think of to calm himself. He'd only slip up and kill them all if he was a jittery mess. _What about you? Are your hands ok?_

_**They're fine enough, now get going. Don't talk to me unless you absolutely have to.**_

Daisuke nodded, sending a "Good luck" across his thoughts before standing and carefully pushing the door open wide enough for him to reach the stairs. It paused in its swing just before it reached the spot where it usually creaked and Daisuke felt some relief in it as he took the first step.

Dark was busying himself doing something in the back of his head.

He took another step.

There was a distant burning sensation as Dark used some magic.

He took another step.

It was doing something, making Daisuke feel shrunken somehow. He ignored it.

He took another step.

Daisuke adjusted to the light completely, seeing no signs of Krad.

Another step.

Daisuke's heart pounded in his ear.

Another step.

Daisuke heard his pulse increasing the further down he went.

Step.

Krad sounded like he was near the far wall.

Step.

Sweat ran near his ear, tickling him.

Step.

All he could control was his breathing.

Step.

Daisuke's senses were getting sharper.

Dark was preparing even faster.

Krad was moving even closer.

Only one more step to go.

There were no more stairs.

Daisuke could see him now, wings folded and out of the way, hair spilling down is back in one long, thin stream, his search moving his entire body as he tried to find a certain stone. Krad could tell there had to be a mechanism. He could feel the magic on the other side of the wall.

Daisuke was getting closer and closer, hearing nothing but his own heart and Krad's unceasing movements. Why didn't Krad sense him yet?

He was less than a meter away, now.

Krad found the right stone.

The wall began to shake. Krad's body turned in the slightest and Daisuke knew he had already been cau—!

_**Now, Daisuke, NOW!**_

Daisuke let go as quickly as he could, suddenly feeling very tall as Dark forced the change to be complete in less than an instant, knocking Krad to the far wall in a blast before the transformation was even complete. He didn't wait for Krad to be able to respond with anything more than the beginnings of a frown before Dark launched himself after him, readying another attack and not even considering listening to Daisuke until he was certain he had the advantage.

Energy-laced fist met Krad's stomach, and Krad began a cough, but it was cut off by another punch and another. And another. All the while, he could hear Daisuke scolding him in a fervor, but Dark did not intend to listen. He could let Daisuke give him a lecture _after_ he was sure they weren't going to die that night.

Finally, Dark relented, taking deep breaths as he stepped back far enough to ready a sleep spell without knocking himself out in the process. Just as he was about to launch it, Krad stood, bleeding and glaring and very unsteady, growling at the thief across from him, but unable to so much as articulate his rage.

Krad took one step then fell forward, fully unconscious and fully Satoshi before he even hit the ground.

Dark cancelled the spell and Daisuke began to rapid-fire questions about what happened and if everyone was alright and just why had Krad been able to make it that far in and all sorts of things Dark didn't care to listen to. He knelt and checked on the fallen Satoshi, making sure he was indeed Satoshi and still breathing before he stood, finally addressing Daisuke. "Let's tell them it's safe to come back."

Daisuke stopped his rambling to settle on one question. _**What about Hiwatari-kun?**_

Dark checked on the boy once more over his shoulder before he left the stairwell. There was no way for this to end well. "Emiko will at least let him stay until he wakes up. After that, I don't know."

Daisuke had no other choice than to accept that answer and regained control of their body.

* * *

Satoshi woke to chains. Chains and a strong sensation of magic, both wrapped around him, binding him to nothing but himself and restricting his mobility to little more than squirming in his seated position. Something deep within him recognized and resented those chains. The last thing he could recall was losing to Krad, and if his current predicament was any indication, whatever Krad attempted did not go well.

"He's still coming around."

"Well, someone wake him faster!"

"This _is_ fast for him, mom." In his muddled mind, Satoshi recognized that Niwa was going to need saving.

"And just how would you—?"

"I trust you find all these restraints to be necessary, Niwa-san." Satoshi opened his eyes for the first time, realizing then and there he was missing his glasses. Not that it mattered; he couldn't so much as sense Krad under all the suppressing he was going through. Inconvenient, but he'd need to make due without them for a while.

"Go to bed, Daisuke," Emiko muttered in the absolute voice of a mother. Daisuke sent Satoshi an apologetic look as he slunk out of the kitchen. Emiko stood tall and proud, and very suspicious of the Hikari before her. "In light of what happened tonight, yes, I find them absolutely necessary." She looked Satoshi square in the eye, taking up the role of key inquisitor. "What was Krad searching for in the basement and how did he get down there in the first place?"

Satoshi gazed up at her, maintaining what little dignity he had in this situation. He could only imagine how utterly helpless he looked, tied down in Emiko's kitchen, and he wondered what more she expected him to be able to do that she wouldn't come any closer than the end of the table, only able to come to the conclusion that Krad had her on edge. "I know nothing of what happened after Krad took over. I have only theories."

"And they are?" Emiko prompted, crossing her arms impatiently. She didn't believe a word of Satoshi's testimony, and she was just waiting for him to dig himself in deeper.

Satoshi had no other choice than to tolerate her for now. "Krad bound himself with the painting before Dark stole it. He was probably able to trace it from there. No doubt he was looking to recover the portrait and possibly other artworks in your possession."

"Lies." Emiko's words were not unexpected. "Dark told me the connection snapped before he even arrived here. You led him here."

"Just because the feed is broken does not mean there is not a thin string of magic left, Niwa-san." Satoshi had to wonder if the Niwas had any concept of what magic really was. He was already carefully educating Daisuke—without the redhead knowing, of course—he didn't want to have to teach the fundamentals of magic to the whole family. "What Dark assumed was a break in connection was just a signal that Krad and the painting could no longer draw from each other, not that the bond was severed."

"Liar!" Emiko slammed her hands on the table, fed up with this Hikari boy and his constant attempts to remove the guilt from himself. She would reveal the boy for exactly who and what he was, even if it meant her son would never speak to her again. "You led him here so that you could do the one thing your ancestors could not!"

"That is not—"

"You've been using my son to learn everything about us, and tonight was finally the night you would win this war!" All the stress from the past week and the fear left from tonight were piling up, and Emiko was falling into hysterics.

"That is enou—"

"You deceitful, hateful Hikari son of a b—!"

"Don't you _dare_ bring my mother into this!" Satoshi's anger flared, and the chains binding him reacted, constricting him physically and magically, closing up even his vocal chords to prevent so much as a verbal assault. They let up enough for him to breathe again almost instantly, and Satoshi was sent coughing and sputtering, and he didn't even care anymore so long as Emiko was done shouting.

Emiko strode to Satoshi's end of the table, emotions churning violently just beneath the surface. It felt good to finally release the years and years of silent loathing she had built up over her life, and she knew deep in her heart it was her right to do so. The Hikari boy messed up, and it was a Niwa victory this time around. "We have truth charms in the basement. One way or another, you will confess what you are planning, Hikari."

Satoshi's breathing began to regulate, flowing deep and slow into his lungs, and he stared up at the Niwa matriarch with all the defiance in his body. "Try them. They will not work so long as I am bound."

Emiko pivoted and left the kitchen, instructing everyone waiting in the living room that no one was to so much as think of Satoshi without her permission, and that no matter what he said, she was the only one who was to deal with him in any way. After making sure her orders were understood, she descended into the basement to utilize every truth charm she possessed.

* * *

Emiko spent the rest of the night questioning Satoshi, but accomplished nothing outside of exhausting both Satoshi and herself. She learned quickly that what Satoshi had said about the truth charms had been correct—all the charms ended up doing was get their magic sucked away by the chains—and she let the chains be substituted by rope for the duration of the interrogation.

Finally, as the sun rose, Emiko gave up, replaced the chains without bothering with the rope, and returned to her room to catch some sleep. Satoshi, also pushed beyond his normal limits with the chains constantly sapping away his energy, was asleep before Kosuke had a chance to enter the room, book in hand.

When Satoshi was next aware, Kosuke had managed to remove the rope and was fiddling with the chains, glancing every so often into that book of his, not even noticing that Satoshi had been studying him for several minutes. Finally, curiosity got the best of him, but Satoshi didn't let it show at all in his voice, sounding bored and sleepy. "What are you doing, Niwa-san?"

"Ah, Satoshi-kun," Kosuke grinned at him. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Satoshi returned the greeting, not giving up on being civil just yet. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, this? I'm trying to get these off of you." Satoshi didn't respond with anything other than a flat stare, and Kosuke continued. "It turns out non-magical beings like myself can't remove them in a conventional way, but I found a book on them in the basement. The problem is, I can't quite read it. Some of these books are quite old, you know."

"Why?"

"Because they were written a long time ago, of course."

"No," Satoshi couldn't tell if Kosuke was joking or if he honestly thought he'd ask such a stupid question. "Why are you trying so hard to remove them?" It was a valid question in Satoshi's mind. With the chains gone, there was no guarantee that Satoshi was not dangerous as far as the Niwas were concerned. Satoshi himself wasn't quite sure he wanted them off. Having the chains meant that Krad could not manifest himself regardless of how much he struggled. It was a safeguard, if a little over the top, but better than none at all.

Kosuke stopped fighting the chains for a moment to give Satoshi one of his sincere smiles. "Because I trust you, and I really don't think you deserve to be treated like this."

Satoshi then said something he recalled telling Kosuke before: "Niwa-san, your wife is going to kill you."

Kosuke chuckled at that, and Satoshi decided the man did not have a single ounce of a sense of self-preservation in his entire body. "I know."

Kosuke continued to go back and forth between the book and the chains for several minutes and Satoshi was wondering how long the man was going to keep trying when it was obvious he had no idea what the book actually said. Deciding Kosuke was not going to punish him for being nosy, Satoshi glanced over at the book, skimming over the page until he found the information he wanted. "Look for the link with the symbol on the top left-hand corner of the page and try giving it a sharp twist."

Kosuke stopped his tinkering again, staring at Satoshi with genuine curiosity. "You could read that?"

It was already too late for Satoshi to say otherwise, so he just owned up to the fact that the Niwas had learned one more thing about him. (Of course, Daisuke already knew, but Satoshi was sure he wouldn't be mentioning it to anyone else). "Yes."

After a couple more minutes of searching for the exact link, Satoshi was freed from the chains and Kosuke discarded them along a wall for now while Satoshi relished his new-found freedom by continuing to sit in the same chair he'd been confined to all night. That was not exactly what Kosuke had wanted him to do, but it was what he had anticipated he'd do. Kosuke could do one better. "Would you like to see the library?"

Satoshi stared up at Kosuke, astonished that the man could even think to offer such a thing to him, before shaking his head to hide a grin. "Your wife really will kill you, Niwa-san." Kosuke laughed nervously, but led Satoshi down the steps to the basement anyway. If Emiko really wanted to kill him, he'd let her kill him. He wanted to make sure Satoshi at least got a look.

When Satoshi reached the bottom of the stairs, he found himself surprised at just how much the Niwas actually had down there, and knew the basement couldn't lie just below their house, but probably branched out below the neighboring dwellings as well. A sense of awe built up within him as he could feel the magic moving in this place, reaching for him, swirling around him, living breathing unadulterated magic. It was familiar and foreign to him and for a moment, he feared the environment alone would wake Krad, but he didn't feel the demon so much as stir.

The magic was concentrated in a few areas, the one behind a wall was the weakest, and Satoshi suspected that was where the art was kept, one within what seemed to be a closet, and the strongest coming from the direction of where Kosuke was leading him: the library.

Satoshi followed him to what he had originally thought would be four, maybe five bookshelves, but became another set of steps, leading even further down, and if Satoshi did not trust Kosuke so much, he would have suspected the man was taking him down there to kill him. When the stairs finally ended, Satoshi was hit with the site of what really was a large library. Each wall was lined with built-in shelves filled to the brim with books of all kinds and the room was filled with rows and rows of bookshelves that barely fit under the high ceiling and spaced just far enough apart that one could squeeze in between, but not comfortably at all. Then in the center, there was a desk, stacked with books and papers, and Satoshi knew instinctively that this doubled as Kosuke's office.

Kosuke smiled as he watched Satoshi wander through the library, eyes checking every detail systematically, but no less in awe of what he was seeing. He waited until Satoshi had settled near the desk to even remind the boy that anything else besides him and the library existed. "We want you to know you can use any of the books here as much as you like."

That was something Satoshi had not expected at all. "We being you and Niwa-kun." Kosuke nodded like Satoshi knew he would. Kosuke's offer wasn't as wonderful as it sounded. It was doubtful that they'd be able to smuggle Satoshi down here every time he wanted to research something. In order to make use of anything, Satoshi would usually have to know the title of the book he was looking for, or at least a very specific time period and subject, and trust that the Niwas would be able to take care of the rest.

"Thank you, Niwa-san. I appreciate this very much." He knew Daisuke would sneak him the books, but to have Kosuke's express permission was another thing entirely. "As always, you are welcome to use the Hikari library whenever you like." ...save the few books that would probably kill them if the Niwa so much as touched them, but Satoshi really felt saying that wasn't necessary.

"Thank you, Satoshi-kun."

Vocalizing the agreement felt like the first step towards a treaty between the two families. Even though the Hikari art was inherently dangerous, and even though the Niwas were constantly stealing it, they would do their best not to hamper each other's pursuit of knowledge. Maybe if this generation did not attain complete peace, they could at least give it a good start, Satoshi thought as he let his eyes roam the many titles, remembering just then he was without his glasses. "Niwa-san, I know you don't find it necessary, but if you have something like a seal or a suppressant on hand, I really would feel much more comfortable."

Kosuke's smile stayed on his face, but Satoshi had the irking feeling that he had somehow defeated it. "I'll see what I can dig up."

"Thank you." Twenty minutes later, Satoshi walked the library freely with an enchanted bracelet on his wrist, forgetting completely that there was anything else besides him, the library, and Niwa Kosuke.

* * *

A/N: Nothing much to say here today. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to review!


	13. Cause you said my heart was garbage

A/N: Wow, has it really been months? Months? MONTHS?

This feels short, but it's... action-packed?

No, it's not really action-packed, but it is interesting. ... I think.

Nothing very interesting to say about this chapter beforehand, except that it really was a lot of fun to write.

(Well, of course it was fun. If it wasn't fun, I wouldn't have written it.)

Aaaaand, enough of that.

Oh, by the way, do you know what reminded me to finish this thing up and update? A review. That's right. So maybe leave some, yeah? Yeah?

Ok, you may read now.

* * *

Daisuke woke up the next morning earlier than usual, determined to sneak downstairs and free his friend, but found upon reaching the kitchen that someone had beat him to it.

_Hiwatari-kun's gone._

Dark stirred, barely awake as it was, and not interested in staying conscious for long. _**I'd say either Kosuke or Daiki did it.**_

_Where are they?_

Dark only managed to mutter "basement" before falling back to sleep and Daisuke couldn't blame him. As tired as Daisuke was this morning, Dark had to be at least twice as exhausted, and while on the subject of their conditions, he couldn't imagine Satoshi to be much better off after enduring his mother for however long she had bothered him.

Daisuke really wished Emiko wouldn't do things like that. No matter how hard he tried to make her understand that Satoshi was not their enemy, she just refused to listen. It wasn't like Satoshi himself had tried to kill any of them.

Not that Satoshi helped at all in this matter, but Emiko could still try to trust him.

Daisuke reached the first level of the basement and there were still no signs of anyone, and being strongly opposed to calling and risking waking his mother, he stood there a moment and thought about where someone would've taken Satoshi to. If it was Kosuke, then they were in the library or out of the house, but Daiki could've taken him anywhere.

Well, that didn't help any.

It came down to instincts, and Daisuke went in the direction of the slightly-bad vibe he was getting. It wasn't the usual something-is-going-wrong feeling he got right before something reached out to kill him, but it wasn't coming off like he was about to be rewarded with cake, either. Just that something was not normal and it was in so-and-so general direction.

So Daisuke marched up to the wall, felt out the correct stone, and revealed the corridor that lead to the art.

The bad feeling got worse.

* * *

Kosuke had rather been enjoying the quiet study time he was having with his son's best friend, when said friend looked up at the ceiling abruptly and alertly, startling Wyth right off the table. Satoshi's gaze travelled slowly, as if tracking an invisible something, and Kosuke had to wonder what was going on in the boy's head about the ceiling that was so serious.

"Is something the matter, Satoshi-kun?"

Satoshi did not remove his attention from the oh-so-attention-grabbing ceiling. "Your family seals the art Dark steals, correct?"

Kosuke forced a chuckle. He really wanted to stay away from these discussions. "That's what they tell me."

"What about the one Dark brought last night?"

All at once it occurred to Kosuke that it wasn't the ceiling Satoshi was following at all.

Satoshi paused, reading the situation and endeavoring to assess every potential risk. "Don't follow me."

* * *

Daisuke followed the familiar hallway until it ended just outside the main room. The sense that something was not right was strongest here and, frankly, it made Daisuke nervous. This was the room where they sealed the art and held it until they figured out where to store it. A premonition about that room was not something Daisuke wanted to have.

He reached for the door and felt a shock; a warning, telling him that something was definitely up. If someone was in there, they could most certainly be in trouble.

Daisuke reached again. If the door didn't want to let him in, it was going to have to do better than that.

* * *

Satoshi reached the top of the stairs winded, and noticed the missing section of wall immediately. The room felt fuzzy to him as it became increasingly soaked in the magic of the various Hikari pieces whose seals had whithered or failed completely. The art sensed him and called to him, vying for his attention, but the only thing he focused on was the barely discernible figure at the end of the hall. Small and the only thing he could sense _not_ distinctly Hikari.

"Niwa!"

There was a distinct tug at his wrist—the only thing that seemed distinct at all to him at the moment—as his echo made it to Daisuke a moment too late and the redhead seemed to feel a shock, and that was when Satoshi's mind cleared enough to distinguish one source of energy calling to him stronger than the rest.

He didn't hear if Daisuke had replied as the magic pulsed. Its sound was no less than an audible roar to him, but silent to the Niwas for all he knew. Either way, there was nothing safe about the other side of that door, and he had to wonder if Daisuke was losing his mind, thinking it was a good idea to enter.

Satoshi approached the end of the tunnel, aware that Daisuke was speaking to him, but unable to comprehend his words over the buzzing and crackling and throbbing of the magic that surrounded them. Slowly, he began to tune out the white noise enough that he could be sure he wasn't about to shout at Daisuke.

"Niwa, what is behind this door?"

"This—this is where we keep the art," Satoshi half heard, half read Daisuke's lips to say. It was obvious Daisuke didn't feel he should be admitting to it, as if the very admission would somehow do them harm now. It wasn't like Satoshi particularly cared where the Niwas did what they do.

Satoshi touched the door cautiously and it did not retaliate. He could sense it clearly now, just on the other side of the door. Why hadn't the Niwas taken care of it last night?

"What is it? What's going wrong?"

Well, at least Daisuke wasn't completely unaware of the situation.

"Your family didn't seal it last night." Satoshi could see Daisuke tense. Good. It was always nice to know that Daisuke could understand when things could possibly become quite ugly. "Do you trust me, Niwa?"

"Yes."

There was no hesitation there, and Satoshi wasn't sure if he liked it. "The activity of the painting seems to have awakened a few of the other works stored down here." Satoshi glanced at Daisuke out of the corner of his eye to make sure the two of them were still operating on the same level. Sometimes, he doubted Daisuke had a clear picture of just how dangerous their lives really were—how very lucky all of them had been up to this point. "I plan to go in there and see what I can do to restrain it, but in case it doesn't cooperate, I want you to bring me a knife. Any knife will do."

Daisuke didn't move. "Are you going to kill her?"

"Only if I have to," Satoshi admitted before giving the door a sound push. On the other side of the door was silence and stillness compared to the magical storm outside the room. The painting had to be very close.

He established visual contact with Seki almost immediately and the charm on his wrist twitched in response. Krad wasn't stirring, so it had to be something else. He addressed the painting directly. "I would like to keep it on, thank you."

The painting throbbed but the charm stilled, and Satoshi could only assume that the painting understood. He approached slowly, not yet daring to establish direct contact with the art just in case. "You do realize where you are?" The magic in the room rippled with a melancholy reply. "We have a bargain; I can't save you."

There was a pleading breeze, but Satoshi would have none of that. It wasn't his place to whisk the painting away to safety when it was so obviously active and he was depending so strongly on what friendly relationships he was maintaining with the Niwas. "You can make things easier on yourself and just sleep. I doubt they would know the difference. Fighting will only force me to silence you."

Seki made it quite obvious that she did not like that and Satoshi held his head at the instant headache the retaliation brought, reminding him of Krad. Satoshi could only think of how appropriate it was; Seki had been one of the Hikari who had worshipped Krad and the power he represented.

Satoshi spotted Daisuke in the doorway and nodded to him in hopes that the Niwa was as intelligent as he seemed. Daisuke slid the knife across the floor, not entering the room and Satoshi felt some relief for the split second before the painting sent out a burst of magic in rage.

It was a warning he did not plan to heed, and Satoshi took a step forward, knife in hand. The faint buzzing Satoshi had only thought he had tuned out flared up again, louder than before, and Satoshi knew this wasn't going to end well. "Shut the door!"

As Daisuke slammed the door shut, he caught the first moment of whatever gust was picking up in that room and leaned against the door heavily. _This is not good; this is not good; this is not good._ The bad feeling had escalated to a full-out tingling all over as whatever was going on got progressively worse, and that had just kicked it up another notch.

Seki was obviously not very passive and Satoshi was in there facing her alone.

Daisuke thought for a moment that he should open the door and charge in and... do what? He didn't even understand what was going on completely, only that the painting was not happy to be here, and it was obvious that Satoshi would sense whatever was happening a lot sharper than he could. Daisuke got the distinct impression that if he entered now, he'd only be in the way.

Daisuke's attentions returned outward as someone advanced towards him, and he couldn't tell who until they got close enough that Daisuke could see the beard.

Daiki frowned, staring through him into the next room. "Daisuke, what is going on in there?"

Daisuke swallowed. He was gonna get it good. "I thought that—the painting was—Hiwatari-kun said—"

Daiki cut him off with a stern frown. "The Hikari is in there?"

Daisuke stayed steady. "You can't go in there." Daiki's eyes bored into him challenging and angry. Daisuke didn't budge. "Hiwatari-kun will take care of it."

* * *

Satoshi felt the wind whipping around him and struggled to keep his eyes open. This was more difficult than he had anticipated, but no more than he could handle once he thought it out.

The painting wasn't using magic directly to harm him. It was merely impeding his progress with a little bit of moving air. It didn't seem to be in direct communication with any other artworks. Krad was not awake. The wind was not constant, but instead gusting and calming in wavering bursts. None of the objects in the room seemed to be affected by this wind.

But what did it mean?

The next gust almost knocked the knife out of his hand and Satoshi had more than enough of this foolishness. He had originally planned to get this over with as painlessly and easily as he had with the painting of his mother, but this portrait was proving to be stubborn and difficult.

And if it just gave him half the chance to think, he could slay it and be done, but he couldn't take another step forward, much less get close enough to actually do any damage.

It was all very aggravating, and Satoshi combed all his knowledge for anything that would be remotely useful to him. Satoshi's mind brought forth a symbol that was covered in his ancestor's book, and he decided it was worth a shot.

Focusing on the sigil in his mind, and nothing else, he let what magic he could scrounge up lace itself into his voice, giving him authority and giving his command strength. Still with only the rather basic symbol pictured in his thoughts, Satoshi let his mouth move of its own accord, forming quite different syllables than he had thought he'd be saying.

The string holding the charm on his wrist together snapped and the beads went flying all across the room.

"_Calm_."

The room stilled, bowing under the weight of his words, and Satoshi could feel the painting itching, struggling to force any magic out at all to defend itself. He would not give it that chance.

Satoshi advanced until he was directly in front of the painting, feeling the panic rolling off its canvas as it fought to free itself from the restraints of one word. It did not understand what had happened, but it knew clearly what would come next if it could not rally a defense.

Satoshi raised the knife before him, only just then seeing the change. What had originally been a butter knife fetched hurriedly from the kitchen was now the jade dagger he had used before. Curious, but not requiring immediate attention. At least now he didn't have to be so barbaric.

Magic flowed through him and into the blade, and once again Satoshi could feel the bloodlust seeping out of the knife. He touched the tip of the blade to the portrait as he muttered those simple words and the painting let out an ear-splitting scream.

Darkness found him.

* * *

Daisuke felt calmer as the sense of danger quieted from the other side of the door. Satoshi had everything under control, and now all he had to do was wait until he emerged. It would only be a minute. A look of triumph that was more at home on Dark crossed his face and Daisuke was pretty sure his grandfather could see it.

A moment later, Daiki was alert again, monitoring the other side of the door and the more that time passed, the more the sinking feeling of doom returned to Daisuke, but he ignored it. Satoshi was fine; he had it under control.

A sudden high pitched squeal rose and fell and by the time Daisuke was done clutching his ears, Daiki had forced his way into the sealing room and had caught sight of the knife before it reverted to its original form.

But what caught and held his attention was the freshly slain _Portrait of Hikari Seki_ and the ghost that rose from it before dissipating to nothingness.

* * *

When Satoshi woke, he could hear sounds. Sounds like words, but not quite words. Maybe they were words, but they were muffled, masked. Maybe far away or maybe just obstructed. These words were angry or excited—very rapid, but not clear to him at all.

He opened his eyes and found a dim room, and knew whoever was speaking, they were not with him, but maybe just outside the door. He was in a bed—Daisuke's bed, it seemed—and the curtains were drawn to block the harsh light of the day.

Satoshi made to sit up slowly to get a better look, but found a hand pressuring his shoulder lightly, asking but not forcing him to stay down. He followed that arm to the familiar face of Argentine.

Argentine nodded, not speaking so as not to alert whoever was outside, and pushed Satoshi's shoulder again, and Satoshi laid back down, only just then seeing the fishing wire strung above him. It was a trap, or perhaps an alarm, designed to either keep him in bed or to alert someone when he decided to get up.

Satoshi came to one conclusion: the Niwas were not entirely pleased of the way he had handled the painting earlier. He was suspicious to them now, even more so than before.

The voices died down for a minute and both Argentine and Satoshi monitored the door, each in his own way deciphering what was happening on the other side. Satoshi had yet to make out a female voice, so he figured it safe to assume Emiko was either asleep or busying herself elsewhere.

This left the three men, and Satoshi knew for a fact that Kosuke and Daisuke would argue that if Satoshi could not be let go until they had whatever it was the Niwas wanted, they could at least allow him to wander in the house. Satoshi was still unsure of Daiki's opinion, but there wouldn't be an argument if he agreed with them.

The talking stopped altogether for a moment and Satoshi let himself relax fully onto the bed, and the door opened just then. Daiki was the first to enter, flipping on the lights and observing the situation, while Kosuke flashed Satoshi a grin and checked to make sure the new sealing bracelet was still intact. "Argentine, I told you to tell us when he woke up."

Argentine looked confused. "You said to watch. I cannot watch Him if I leave Him."

Kosuke chuckled silently behind Daiki's back. "How are you doing, Satoshi-kun?"

"I'm alright, Niwa-san," Satoshi mumbled cautiously. He wasn't entirely sure how he was at the moment. Krad still wasn't awake and Satoshi himself was feeling odd, but not terrible. He chalked it up to lack of appropriate exercise over the past couple days. He was itching to at least walk somewhere. "I presume Niwa-kun is at school?"

"That's right," Kosuke smiled. "Emiko-san's fixing lunch downstairs. Are you feeling up to coming down and having some?"

Well, that settled that. Satoshi pretended not to notice the look Daiki shot his son-in-law and wondered if Kosuke was some kind of masochist with a penchant for getting himself into trouble. "Yes, thank you, Niwa-san. That would be nice."

After a false start, Satoshi managed to stand and walk albeit a little unsteadily downstairs to the kitchen where Emiko proceeded to eye him like a hawk while the other two sat down for a normal lunch. Satoshi made himself look as comfortable and off-guard as he could manage, hoping to at least cut down on the open hostilities.

"By the way, how are your teeth healing, Satoshi-kun?"

"They're healing quite well, thank you." ...seeing as Dark healed them against my will, Satoshi finished in thought, but knew better than to mention.

"Wonderful." Smile, smile.

"Quite," Emiko muttered under her breath.

Satoshi waited a minute to let the previous train of conversation die off in their minds before speaking again. "May I ask what it is you want of me?"

Emiko set her fork down, folding her hands and not giving an inch of authority to anyone else in the room. "Come again?"

Satoshi reworded it, leaving no room for misunderstanding for the benefit of her little Niwa brain. "For what reason and purpose are you holding me here, or am I mistaken and am free to go?"

"Now see here," Emiko began slowly and purposely, "You invaded our home, snuck into our basement, attacked Dark, and killed an artwork in our possession, and we have every right to keep you here."

Satoshi leaned forward, keeping a tight reign on his temper. They had no legal right to confine him here, and Satoshi knew Emiko was well aware of that. The right she spoke up was a paper-thin honor code that has kept each side from simply sneaking into the other's residence and start slitting throats. "I admit to having slain the painting. However, it is a fact that it was actively destructive and you were unable to seal it, and thus I had no choice in the matter. The rest was accomplished by Krad, without my knowledge, who is now sealed within me and cannot bring any harm unless that seal is broken."

"Nevertheless," as the argument continued on its calm track, the more heated it became, masked behind polite words and logic when they may as well have been at each other's throats, "Krad obviously knows where we live and where we store the artwork. He has shown himself more than capable of sneaking in here without setting off any of our alarms, and we have no way to guarantee that you will not remove that seal the moment you leave this house. For all we know, you could return in the middle of the night and kill us all."

"The fact that he came here last night is of little significance, as he has known where you have lived before he was passed on to me." Emiko had an angry retort to that, but Satoshi cut her off. "And I can assure you, Mrs. Niwa, that I have no intention of allowing Krad to escape again, especially considering last night's fiasco."

"You can not deny that he is a part of you, Hikari. I think the idea of you suppressing him forever is as unlikely as you chopping off your own arm." Satoshi had no immediate reply, and Emiko continued with a sense of victory. "As much as you deny it, you can not hold him in forever, just as Daisuke would not be able to hold Dark in forever. You are him, and he is—"

"I am not Krad," Satoshi asserted in a calm, rational voice, clamping down on his fury at the mere implication and ignoring the faint buzzing in his blood that told him to retaliate with more than just words. "Krad is within me, but he is not me. We are separate beings, and I will not allow you to continue to insult me by saying otherwise."

There was a tense silence where Emiko settled back into a more comfortable position to continue her meal. "Regardless, he is with you now, and we all know you will not be able to continue to cage him in indefinitely. We can control the situation here, and therefor, you will remain here."

Satoshi frowned, but conceded knowing he had lost that particular battle for now. He would not be allowed to leave until they were confident that Krad was no longer a danger. He was here until Krad was sealed, or he died, if he let Emiko have her way. He could escape, but it would only encourage hostilities, where if he remained, they would at least have to tolerate him. The fact that he was still alive spoke volumes about how much they trusted him not to kill them all under their watchful eyes. They saw him as trustworthy or weak or both, and Satoshi decided he could maybe live with that for now.

"I understand." His mind worked and he found the wording he wanted for his next move. "Then may I return accompanied to my apartment to gather some of my belongings and arrange for some to be delivered at a later date?"

Emiko stared at him over her tea with a suspicious eye. "What sort of belongings?"

Satoshi picked up his fork in a calm, uncaring motion, projecting nonchalance over the subject in an effort to persuade her. "Clothing and books, mostly." He saw the rise in suspicion and moved quickly to quell it. "Feel free to inspect anything you please, and if you find anything suspicious, you may simply reject it, and it shall be returned to my apartment for safekeeping. Of course, as I shall be living in your home, you will have unquestioned access to anything I bring."

Emiko thought it over under three pairs of watchful eyes and decided she had had enough of being seen as the bad guy at the table, no matter that she was only looking out for the safety of the family. Besides, this could work to her advantage. "Of course. We'll start this afternoon. Do you need to make any arrangements for school?"

"No, thank you, Mrs. Niwa. I have already earned several college degrees and do not require additional education at this time."

Emiko's eyes grew to the size of saucers and Satoshi allowed himself a small smirk behind his glass, knowing that with one sentence, he had won this round.

* * *

A/N: Ooh! Danger time, danger time! What's going to happen from here? Who knows? Does anyone know? I'm not even sure I know.

Oh, the uncertainty!

Aaaanyway, leave me a review and perhaps you too may have the good tingly feeling like being rewarded with cake.


	14. Not a chapter, a teaser

A/N: **THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER! THIS IS A SPOILER AND A TEASER AND AN EXCUSE FOR NOT UPDATING!**

Big big BIG reason why you should stick with me and wait for updates: because if you do, the plot will eventually come to something like this little spoiler.

Yes, this is cheating.

* * *

... Saehara was the first to the doorway. At first, all he could see about this room was blood. Blood on the ceiling, blood on the walls, slowly dripping down to the floor, where the carpet was absolutely soaked with the life-giving fluid. It wasn't just blood, either. Here and there lay a bone, and one could only guess at what each chunk of meat had been before. In the time it had taken for Saehara to break his transfixed stare on the state of the room, his partner had already revisited his lunch in the hall.

It was at the lurching sound that the only thing immaculate in the entire room finally moved, and Saehara's hand automatically drifted to his side. Satoshi's movements were slow, languid, and almost more disturbing than the state of the room. He turned, inch by inch, toward the intruders. And right before the owlish blink, Saehara could have sworn his superior's eyes had been the most eerie shade of gold. To Saehara, Satoshi's eyes held no recognition of anything ground in reality and Satoshi stilled, remaining crouched and feral and so damn clean Saehara couldn't believe he was in the room at all.

"Commander," Saehara greeted clearly, and for a moment, Satoshi did nothing more than blink once more, watching and waiting for what the detective's next move would be, but it never came.

Magic surged just beneath his skin, begging and screaming to be used, to rid him of the unnecessary man in the doorway. The man was here to harm Him, the voices of his ancestors whispered in his ears, their once treacherous voices now his very strength and livelihood. Kill him. Kill him and run. If that man is dead, You will be safe; the Line must be preserved.

At the sight of Saehara tapping his gun, a shred of sanity returned to Satoshi and it was all he needed to take a firm grasp of what reality he needed to not be thrown into an asylum then and there.

The animal in Satoshi settled, but Satoshi didn't budge. "It wasn't me," words laced with magic and power in ways Satoshi had never been able to use it before - the natural rhythm and rise and fall and _breath_ turning into song, into art. "I came home and smelled the blood-"

Saehara visibly relaxed. "It's alright, Commander." His gaze floated to Satoshi's side, where a knife lay, and he could only pray there was not a single trace of Satoshi on it. Now he could see the mutilated paintings beneath the blood, and the only one whole on the floor. He could see the stacks in the corner and the piano by the bay windows, looking almost as if it had been sliced in two. But what kind of being would be able to do that with just a knife? "Let's get you out of here."

Satoshi stood in agreement, the simple movement a powerful dance, and Saehara wrapped his coat around his shoulders. Before leaving the scene, Saehara took one last glance back at what was left of ...


	15. Maybe my body was, too

A/N: To be honest, I took this chapter in a slightly different direction than I had originally planned. Instead, that chapter is becoming the next one.

I think this chapter's kinda boring toward the beginning, but it has some of the much-needed humor you guys have been missing.

And enough of me talking about stuff you're about to know. On with the chapter!

* * *

Satoshi opened his apartment door with a sour look on his face for the first time in a long time. Not only was he trailing a Niwa (luckily it was only Kosuke), but the locks had been improperly reset. Someone had beat him here, someone who knew how to get in, but not how to get out; someone who possessed a degree of skill impressive to normal humans, but mundane in Satoshi's eyes. Someone completely human.

"Ah, Satoshi!" Someone something in Satoshi wished would just fall in a pit and die. Regardless, Satoshi stood still and allowed Kei Hiwatari to embrace him in front of Kosuke. Kei broke his icy hold, ignoring the human and uninteresting Kosuke for the time being. "You had me worried. You didn't report to me after the theft and wouldn't answer my calls, and then I come by and you aren't even at home."

"My apologies, Father." Satoshi didn't know why Kei insisted on continuing the facade in front of Kosuke, but allowed the man his game of pretend. "Complications following the heist had indisposed me for a short time."

"I see," Kei stood to his full height, resting a hand on Satoshi's head in what was supposedly a loving gesture (Satoshi just found the action irritating) and extending the other towards Kosuke, finally choosing to acknowledge the other man in the room, all smiles and pleasantries. "I take it you are the man who looked after my son, Mr. ..."

"Niwa," Kosuke accepted Kei's hand comfortably, more than at ease with western traditions after years of traveling for research. "I am pleased to finally meet Satoshi-kun's father. You must be very proud of him."

"Indeed, he is a very intelligent boy, and I can see great things in his future." Kei continued along an expected and formal path of conversation, observing and studying. All his words were carefully constructed to learn more about the man in front of him, trying to gauge him as a threat or not, attempting to ascertain this man's position in the Niwa clan. "Please excuse us for causing you so much trouble last night. I'm sure it must have been troublesome to have to accommodate my son on such short notice."

"Oh no," Kosuke, on the other hand, had a dislike for such structured conversations, "Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being caused trouble to." Not "there was no trouble had"; not "please excuse me for having caused you worry by having your son overnight". A "thank you" response. "In fact, my family would like to let the both of you know we would be glad to have Satoshi-kun over any time. It worries us to know he lives alone at his age."

"Of course," Satoshi's eyes shot up to Kei. He hadn't expected him to agree so readily. Kei had been his last hope for a smooth departure from the Niwa house. He had been counting on Kei's hatred for the Niwas and Satoshi's association with Daisuke. "My son is more than capable at managing himself, and if he so chooses to spend some time at your residence, I have no qualms over it. I only hope he should not overburden your family with his needs."

"Oh, I'm sure Satoshi-kun will be no trouble at all."

Satoshi smoothly broke contact with Kei. All this smiling and politeness was getting ridiculous and Satoshi was no longer in any mood to tolerate it any further. "If you'll excuse me, Father, I have some things to prepare."

Kei grinned down on Satoshi as the only man in the world who could put on such a condescending face towards him and not leave the conversation sputtering and questioning his intellect. "Of course. I know just how seriously you take your work." Kei turned back to Kosuke, still studying him behind thin glasses, and still not finding a single catch. "I also have some things I must attend to. If you'll excuse me, Niwa-san."

"Of course, Hiwatari-san." Kosuke mirrored one of his son's wider grins and shook his hand in a light wave. "Good day."

Satoshi was the only one who saw the mild confusion on Kei's face as he left. "Good day."

* * *

"I advise you not to touch that one, Niwa-san."

Kosuke looked up in confusion toward Satoshi, who was selecting and collecting from a ladder. Satoshi hadn't so much as glanced his way. Kosuke chuckled "Why? It won't kill me, will it?"

"No," Satoshi muttered offhandedly, "but the one next to it will when it notices you perusing it's sister."

Kosuke's laugh was that of a nervous man and he kept his hands securely behind his back for the remainder of their time in the Hikari library.

* * *

With the books Satoshi had deemed safe to allow in the Niwa house safely stacked on the floor in the back, and a few changes of clothing and essentials stuffed in a bag, Satoshi was content to allow Kosuke to drive back to the Niwa house.

Oh, he wasn't pleased at all to have to return, but he would allow Kosuke to bring him back so he didn't get in trouble from any escape attempts Satoshi could have easily made.

_**Willingly returning to captivity, Satoshi-sama?**_

Satoshi frowned. _Shut up, Krad._

_**You've been getting weak if this weak, powerless human can keep you.**_

_And you've been getting weak if you haven't managed to break out of my mind and free us both._ Satoshi let his gaze sweep out the window. _Face it, Krad. You're even more a prisoner than I am. I could escape if I wanted to. You've been trying to break out ever since I slew Seki and haven't even made me flinch. The only one who is weak here is you._

"Satoshi-kun," Satoshi returned his attentions to the world outside his head, "Are you sure you're alright with this?"

Satoshi knew exactly what Kosuke was talking about. "No, I'm not," he answered honestly. He wasn't ok with being an implied prisoner; he wasn't ok with being under Emiko's constant watch; he wasn't ok with having to be parted from some of his most important tools. "However, this—" he searched for the word he wanted to use "—deal is keeping the peace for now, and until a better arrangement can be made, it is what I must settle for."

"Satoshi-kun—"

"Hurry back;" Satoshi didn't want to hear Kosuke tell him that he could leave at any time because frankly, Kosuke had no idea what he was talking about. Emiko was not nearly as forgiving toward the Hikari as she was to the rest of the world. "Your wife is panicking over something."

* * *

Daiki trimmed the last few stray hairs from his beard he secretly maintained with a strong sense of vanity. He didn't have his youth, his strength, or his looks, but at the very least, he could have a very attractive beard. He was getting to be an old fart, and he knew it, and every last scrap of pride he could keep, he held onto with a firm, steady hand.

He stroked the beard, admiring it in the mirror and checking for any other loose hairs, when there appeared a person behind him whom he had not seen in a very, very long time.

"Hikari?" He turned quickly, but found no one there. Convinced he was just tired and paranoid from the past couple days, he returned to the mirror, only to find Seki's image standing in front of his now. She smiled at him with that haughty smirk Daiki remembered clearly from his phantom days. Daiki frowned in return.

"Away with you, you specter." She didn't budge. "You heard me! You're dead; Leave!"

Seki lifted her arm silently and reached beyond the glass to touch Daiki's shirt just above his heart. Words in her voice floated into Daiki's ears and Daiki understood all at once that he should have been paying more attention to the magic left over from Satoshi slaying her portrait.

_"Away with you."_ Her hand withdrew and Daiki clutched at his heart as he felt a sharp pang there. _"You heard me."_

Daiki collapsed on the cold floor of the bathroom, curling up on his side, in the process, sending all the contents on the counter clattering across the ground.

_"You're dead."_

"You cold bitch," Daiki muttered bitterly at the ghost of his most hated rival as she finally dissipated.

_"Leave."_

* * *

Luckily, when Kosuke and Satoshi had returned to the Niwa household, no one was home, and Satoshi took the liberty of donning more of those damn seals and retreating to Daisuke's room for the time-being. When Emiko eventually returned, she would not want to see him wandering freely.

But she did not return that evening, and when Daisuke returned home, he had the news. Daiki had suffered a heart attack. He was alright, but the hospital wished to monitor him overnight, and Emiko was staying with him.

When Daisuke went to shower and Kosuke was buried in his studies, Satoshi took off all the charms and snuck into Daiki's room, and felt a most familiar presence. He sneered at the ghost that appeared near a wall. "Do you find yourself amusing?"

Seki only smiled cruelly.

"I only wish I had disposed of you properly the first time. I will not make the same mistake twice."

She only stared at him, daring and knowing. Satoshi was feeling manipulated, but there was no other method left to him. He couldn't have her loose in this house killing off the Niwas, as much as he would have appreciated Emiko becoming a nonissue.

This was about right and wrong, and 300-year-old boundaries, and honor, and Seki knew nothing of any of these.

For a moment, Satoshi thought he could hear Krad murmur in the back of his mind, but Satoshi blocked him out. There was nothing he wished to hear from the very demon Seki was seeking to please.

Satoshi pulled magic from within himself, and once again relied on the age-old magic he barely comprehended yet, but had been so effectual before.

"_Disappear."_

The breeze was calm and slow, and Seki's dissipation was almost as haunting as the vision he'd had of his mother a week ago. And just like that last time, as soon as the wind settled, Satoshi felt his strength and energy fleeing him.

But this time he was stronger, more experienced.

This time, he was able to drag himself back to the futon Daisuke had made him before consciousness left him.

* * *

He wasn't sure where he was. He wasn't sure what he was seeing. He wasn't even entirely sure who he was. All he knew was this rush of color and blast of cold air as his being moved through the madness. Then there was a sense of knowing—of being—and he advanced in a new direction, zipping through the everything as if he had been there his whole life.

Just as sudden as the switch in direction had been, he emerged from that formless world to a dim room full of covered paintings. The moonlight slipped in through the spaces between the drapes, falling sharp on the wooden floor. Movement to his left caught his attention.

"Hiwatari." That was not his voice. The smug man seemed to barely be able to stand for once, but smirked in response all the same. Painted was smeared against a hastily donned smock, and paints that once lay carefully balanced in one hand, now rested where they had been dropped to the ground. "You know better than this," the self that was not him paced around to the exhausted mortal before him. "A weak human such as yourself ought to refrain from such strenuous activities."

Hiwatari Kei slumped against the wall, pretending for his own ego to be resting lazily against it. "I thought I would inquire on your progress."

A growl. Krad's growl. "You summoned me out here for that?"

"It is—" a short breath "—of great importance to us both." Kei observed Krad objectively. "He is getting stronger. I could only barely call you out this time."

Satoshi could feel the bristling anger barely concealed within their form. "Satoshi-sama has always been strong."

"Yes, of course," Kei brushed off the statement as nothing, and Krad's rage grew. "I'm Seki made him that much more powerful if you had to rely on a mere mortal such as me to pull you away—"

For the first time since awareness, Satoshi felt tangible as Krad shoved Kei right up against the wall, faces just a breath apart. Satoshi could see Krad's menace reflecting in Kei's glasses as he glared down on the barely conscious man who had deigned to insult him in such a state. "Do not mock me, _human—_" Krad spat out the word with all the hatred he held for the Niwas "—you only continue to exist by my grace and mercy. As soon as I have no further use for you, I will end you." A brief flash of fear shown in Kei's eyes and Satoshi refused to admit he was impressed. "Do not doubt that."

And despite the terror, Kei stood his ground. "If it were not for me, you would not have lived long enough to emerge." Krad's existence wavered enough for his hand to pass through Kei's shoulder and the angel dropped him, but it was proof enough for Kei. He adjusted his glasses in assurance from his crumpled position. "You need me as much as I need you, Krad. So let's try to be genial for the time being."

Krad allowed Kei his space. "What is it you wished to tell me? I do not have much longer here."

"The next painting will be released soon, and I doubt the Niwas will allow Satoshi anywhere near him. Conserve your strength, and make sure Satoshi has the chance to do his duty."

Krad's eyes narrowed. "Conserve your strength, human, and do not waste the little magic Rio gifted you telling me things I already know." Krad had almost completely faded away, but Kei had one last piece of information.

"_That_ is fighting back. It's trying to get loose."

Krad did not move an inch, and his face did not change, but Satoshi could feel his heart grow that much colder. "Then let it come. I doubt even that could stop Us now."

"_Hiwatari-kun!_"

* * *

Daisuke's voice came in harsh whispers, trying to reach his friend without awakening the others in the house. "Hiwatari-kun? Hiwatari-kun!" Satoshi wasn't moving; he was barely even breathing. His eyes were wide open, but there was nothing in them—no presence, no _life_. And Daisuke had a bad feeling all over again.

_Stop shaking him, Daisuke!_

"But he's—!" His natural reaction to this feeling was panic, because that feeling was never wrong and it lead to terrible things.

_In some kind of trance, and you breaking it will only make it worse,_ Dark admonished as gently as he could.

"But, but—!"

Satoshi took a deep and sudden breath before turning to his side to give into a coughing fit. Daisuke took to flitting about him, trying to assure that Satoshi was indeed alive and not just a shadow spat back from some other world. It took a minute for Satoshi's breathing to return to normal, in which time he had managed to assert that he was alive and whole in between breaths.

It wasn't until Satoshi managed to sit up on his own that Daisuke calmed at all. The occasional bead of sweat would slide down his face as he continued to calm his breathing, and it only worried Daisuke more. "What happened to you? You—you weren't breathing and your eyes—"

Satoshi had neither time nor patience to deal with placating Daisuke. "Niwa, please fetch your father." The family member most likely to be the most help and not think he was out cursing their home.

"No," Satoshi had not anticipated that. "Tell me what happened."

"Niwa—"

"I can help!" For the first time that day, Satoshi looked Daisuke in the eye, and was surprised at what he saw there. Desperation, determination, dedication. "You and Dad have taught me a lot more than you think, and even if I can't help, maybe Dark will know something, but I can't help if you won't let me try.

"Something weird's going on, and no one will tell me anything, and I—I just want to help! I don't want to see you get hurt like this anymore. I—I..." Daisuke trailed off, not knowing how to end his tirade, and Satoshi took some pity on him.

"I don't know what happened," Satoshi admitted. "I don't know if it was a vision or if it really happened, or will happen. I don't know any of that."

"That's fine," Daisuke crossed his legs, leaning forward to grab his ankles. "Just tell us what you saw."

Satoshi hesitated. _Us_. Daisuke really was crossing dangerous lines these days. "I saw a world of color. No rules, no boundaries, no form—just color and existence." Daisuke nodded. "Then it was like there was a beacon. I went toward it and exited that world. My father was there; he had been painting." Satoshi pretended not to notice Daisuke's face grew more Dark-like as his retelling went along. "He and Krad had a conversation. They talked about the paintings, and needing each other. Father was concerned about whether I was becoming stronger. The next painting will be released soon. I heard you scream my name, and it ended suddenly."

"Were they getting along?" Dark's voice from Daisuke's mouth. Both were surely present.

"No," Satoshi hated seeing him like that. He hated seeing Dark puppeteer Daisuke like that. He hated Dark for everything he had ever done to him and the Niwas. "They hate each other. They wish to destroy each other, but they can't."

The Niwa before him mulled that information for a moment. Honestly, Satoshi didn't even know if there was a boundary between them any more as the emotions crossing their face seemed so natural to both, he couldn't tell who was in charge. If both were really in the front, then it was worse than Satoshi had thought. Daisuke was losing to Dark, and he didn't even know it yet.

"Was there anything else?"

The voice that was distinctly Dark's only served to irritate Satoshi more, and he snapped back with more agitation than he had intended. "What?" It was then he finally noticed how close Dark had been approaching during that silence. He was so close, and that gleam in his eyes—predatory, hunting.

If Daisuke thought he was still in control, he was sorely mistaken.

"Did they say anything else?" Being this close to Dark always made him a little nervous, but especially here. Daisuke's body was on the front, and he was in the Niwa house. If Dark decided he was fed up with appearances, Satoshi would not be able to fight back in good conscious. "Anything, no matter how unimportant it may have seemed?"

" _Do not waste the little magic Rio gifted you."_

"No," Satoshi asserted. "There was nothing else."

The thinking voice that emerged was definitely Daisuke's as Dark slunk back to exactly where Daisuke had been before. It was eerie, and if Daisuke had noticed the motion at all, he didn't seem bothered by it. The very thought of that terrified Satoshi the most. "Maybe we should tell Dad—in the morning, I mean."

"I agree."

* * *

A/N: That's it for this one. I enjoyed typing all this up, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

You know how you can let me know if you really liked it or not?

A review!


	16. But the only one regretting here is you

A/N: I did not break my promise, it has not yet been a year! I still had 3 months left before I had lied to you all.

I basically wrote the latter half of this all in one shot, but I really like the feel it has.

This is an explanation-heavy chapter, but it does have a lot of (verbal) conflict. If you have any questions about anything so far, you can always PM me or leave a signed review, and if it's not spoiler-ific to answer, I will.

I dropped a couple more plot points in here than you may think. I can think of two big hints and one smaller, slightly less relevant and obvious hint. If you call me out on one of them, I will let you know if you're right.

* * *

"And that's what happened," Satoshi finished in what had been a slightly more in-depth telling than he had let Daisuke hear. A little more sleep had granted him a stronger understanding and a reinforced memory. He had come to understand the colorful world he had soared through was the world behind the painting, which had been created by Kei, and he had been able to recall the conversation almost word-for-word.

And yet again, he had carefully chosen not to mention that short piece of information he didn't want to believe. Rio couldn't have given Kei her power; it was impossible. There had to be another meaning to the phrase, and Satoshi wanted to be the one to find it.

It wasn't the first time he had consciously withheld information from the Niwas, but doing so still managed to put him on edge.

Kosuke, however, sat quietly, considering. "I see." Some pieces fell into place easily, and others did not. Krad was working with Hiwatari, that was obvious. Kei had some kind of magic, and it could operate in ways similar to that of the Hikari. Something was changing, and Satoshi was part of it somehow. All of this was clear, but somehow, Kosuke could see no further.

"From their conversation," Kosuke began carefully, "It would seem Hiwatari has been able to call forth Krad for a while, and until now, it has been without your knowledge."

"I'm sorry," Satoshi wasn't sure what he was apologizing for. Whether it was for being weak, or not keeping a closer eye on Krad, or for anything in between.

"No, this has meaning." Kosuke smiled, trying to be some kind of reassurance. "Hiwatari can't sustain Krad for long, and they didn't know you were watching, right?" Satoshi only nodded and Kosuke ran his fingers along his chin in thought. "I think Krad's strength may be entirely dependent on the one he is drawing from. On his own, he may have no power at all."

"So if I've been getting stronger, why hasn't Krad been as well?" Kosuke's expression switched to that of curiosity and Satoshi felt the need to elaborate. "I've been able to hold him back recently for much longer than I have before. The only time he's been able to break through is—" It hit Satoshi hard and fast "—during the heists."

"Alright, so let's work from there," Kosuke drew on the table before them with his finger as if the invisible lines and circles could further illustrate his point. "What are the common factors of these heists? We have Dark, the portraits, and you. Now in the Seki heist—" his hand wandered back to the small circle he had drawn for the portraits "—Krad actively connected to and drew power from the portrait, right? What about Rio's?"

"No, Rio and Krad worked separately. Krad didn't even wake up until I tried to separate Dark from Daisuke," Satoshi admitted with some guilt.

Kosuke rested a calm hand on Satoshi's shoulder. "Alright, this is good news. Rio chose not to work with Krad, but Seki did. There is some free will in there."

Good news, yes, but it did nothing to help their current train of thought. In fact, all it did was put them back at square one, and Kosuke's persistence to find a positive note in every situation was beginning to grate on Satoshi's nerves. "But that doesn't say anything about why Krad was able to break out then."

"Or it may say everything," Kosuke countered. "Let's look at this a different way: you've been able to hold Krad back ever since you sealed the portrait of Rio."

Satoshi frowned at that. "You're suggesting that somehow slaying these portraits is making me stronger?"

"Well the magic has to go somewhere," Kosuke finished with a smile. "Magical energy is still energy. It can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred and converted."

Even though Kosuke's knowledge of magic seemed to far surpass that of the rest of the Niwas, it was nothing to smile about. "And earlier, you concluded that Krad's strength relies on the strength of his hosts?"

"Well, that is one way of saying it, but—"

"And these paintings, which have been hidden away until now, are slowly being released while Krad and my father are working together?"

Kosuke's smile fell completely as he finally understood what Satoshi was getting at.

"In other words, we have been playing directly into their hands this whole time, and if things keep going on like this, we will continue to do exactly as they planned." Satoshi ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He had slain Rio by accident—he still wasn't sure how he had done it the first time—and Seki by necessity. How many more portraits were there? How many more times were they going to have to put up with this strange magic? How many more times will they be forced to do precisely what Krad wants?

Just how much longer did they have before Krad would make his move?

"Hey," Kosuke moved his hand back to Satoshi's shoulder, "There's one key point you're missing here."

"And just what is that, Niwa-san?" Satoshi snapped back.

Kosuke smiled patiently, putting as much reassurance as he could into his voice. "Krad has no strength of his own and must rely on another source, and up til now, that source has been you. But—" it was a point he wanted to be sure was clear "—You're blocking him. Hiwatari had a lot of trouble summoning Krad last night, Krad had to fight tooth and nail to break out of you for the Seki heist, and even now, you've been able to suppress him easily." The final point grabbed Satoshi's attention. He hadn't thought that Kosuke would have been able to tell. "Am I wrong?" Satoshi shook his head in silence and relaxed against the cushions of the couch.

"They don't have everything planned out perfectly, Satoshi-kun. So far, we've been able to stop them at every turn, so don't think it's hopeless. Not when we've got the upper-hand."

Satoshi let a small smile he didn't feel like wearing cross his face. It seemed Daisuke wasn't the only stupidly optimistic Niwa this time around.

* * *

When Daiki walked through the front door, he looked old. The man was tired and relying on the reassurance of a cane. Daiki's eyes regarded Satoshi where he sat on the couch, studying from a more ancient book, and Satoshi, sensing this, met his gaze. Both of them were solid and unmoving, but not antagonistic as they observed the other. They were both worn in their own way, but Daiki could feel Seki there and see her stare in his eyes.

Emiko entered then, having finished paying the cab fare, breaking the tense situation with a glare. "Isn't that one of our books, Hikari?" There was a menace there Satoshi didn't think was called for. "What are you doing reading it?"

Satoshi marked something down in one of his notebooks and shut the book soundly, not feeling guilty in doing so since the volume was still quite sturdy. "I am assisting Niwa Kosuke in research as he requested." Satoshi took a secret pleasure in the shock that passed Emiko's face. "It seems I am the only one he knows who is both capable of reading these books and understanding the subject matter, so he has requested that I do you all the favor of translating them." Satoshi kept the grin that was forming across his heart at unsettling Emiko inside. Odd, he had never delighted so much in throwing her off before. "Do you have any objections?"

Emiko sneered down at him. "How do we know you aren't lying and trying to protect your own interests?"

"Honestly, you don't." Satoshi shut his notebook now, moving to rise. "Kosuke-san can check my work to some degree, but not very well, and if Dark is even literate, he hasn't exactly shown any sign of wanting to help now, has he?" His voice held all the smugness he kept off his face as he held both tome and notes out toward Emiko for her to take if she so wanted. "I want this war to end just as much as you do, Niwa-san. We are all tired and sick of all of this. I have trusted you not to kill me in my sleep while I'm here; can't you trust me to translate a few books?"

Emiko's hatred showed openly and Satoshi quietly despised her for it. She had no feel for tact and treaties and she never would. The Niwa were all emotional creatures, and it governed everything about them, as evidenced by Emiko's low growl of the name she loathed so much.

"Hikari-san," Daiki interrupted and the honorific startled Emiko out of her simmering rage. It was a surprise for Satoshi as well, but he refused to show it openly. "Will you join me in the den? I have something to discuss with you."

"Of course," Satoshi laid the materials on the coffee table for the time being and passed Daiki to open the door for him in respect and an opportunity to piss Emiko off more. When both were inside, Satoshi shut the door behind him knowing Daiki didn't want anyone eavesdropping.

"I presume you know what this is about." Daiki lowered himself slowly to sit on the large chair on one end of the low table and Satoshi mimicked to sit on the couch to one side. He didn't feel the need to face him directly, they were not at odds here.

"It's about Seki," he stated calmly and simply.

Daiki took a moment to get the words for what he wished to say. "Without permission, you entered the sealing room and killed her."

"Yes," Satoshi did not regret it. "You couldn't do anything and its presence was a threat. It was unlocking the other works you had stored there and feeding off of them. If I hadn't acted, it could have become a very dangerous situation." Satoshi intertwined his fingers on his lap. "I've already instructed Argentine to reinstate the broken seals, and I do not intend on making a habit of stepping in. It was simply necessary."

"Yes, but you acted again after that, didn't you," not a question, a statement. It was almost an accusation.

Satoshi's eyes narrowed in just the slightest. "You didn't have a heart attack. You know that, I know that, and I'm fairly certain Emiko has her suspicions. We couldn't have that ghost haunting this place, especially if it's capable of attacking us like that." Daiki did not miss the use of words there. It seemed Satoshi really was allying himself with them against all his expectations. "I apologize that I was not thorough enough the first time and that you got harmed in the process. I will not make that same mistake twice."

Satoshi faced Daiki a little more fully, feeling the man reacting to his persuasion. "Niwa-san, I have never endeavored to bring harm to this household. You could not seal Seki, and you and I both know the Hikari have only become weaker over time. Whether you want to admit it or not, you will require my help if this trend continues. Cooperation on both sides is in everyone's best interests."

Daiki stood carefully, using that cane for a bit of support. He could not deny that Satoshi was right and that he had no rebuttal whatsoever, but the presence of Seki within him made him uneasy and prevented any measure of true trust. "I want you to show me everything about this method you are using."

"That is what I have been preparing for Kosuke-san."

"Good," Daiki was patient as Satoshi stood to get the door for him. The Niwa and the Hikari had finally reached a verbal truce. It wasn't much, but it was one more step toward the end. "Please get me when it is ready. I wish to be there when you explain it to him."

Satoshi breathed easily for the first time since he awoke in this house, and somehow a great feeling of relief came with that sense of ease. Things would surely be much easier from here on out. "Of course, Niwa-san."

In the back of his mind, Krad was stirring, but Satoshi paid him no mind. He had all the power here.

* * *

"_You should not be doing this."_

The unfamiliar whisper made Satoshi's pen pause mid-stroke and the sealing bracelet on his wrist twitch ever so slightly. This wasn't Krad's voice, but instead a woman's, so low he wasn't certain he had even really heard it at all. Satoshi didn't sense anyone in the room besides Kosuke and himself, nor was there any magic being used, so instead, Satoshi waited to see if it came again.

"Satoshi-kun?" Kosuke's hand touched his shoulder and Satoshi shook his head lightly.

"It's nothing, Niwa-san," Satoshi chalked it up to stress and continued where he left off. "I was distracted, that's all."

* * *

Satoshi was nearly finished preparing his notes for the presentation when Daisuke returned home from school, and he waited for Daisuke's usual "I'm home" and any returned greetings before acknowledging the boy in his customary manner: "Niwa."

"Hm?" Daisuke peeked around to the den. "Oh, hey there, Hiwatari-kun. How was—?"

"We're going to have a meeting in a few minutes, I need you to bring—" Dark out, was what Satoshi was going to finish with, but he thought better of it when he saw Daisuke's face and remembered the fuss he made about being left out the night before. "—some tea before you and Dark join us. It may go on a while."

Daisuke's smile felt inappropriate for the solemn subject, but Satoshi felt a little relieved at it nonetheless. "Sure, I'll have mom brew some up."

Daisuke almost left, but Satoshi stopped him, "And Niwa?" Daisuke turned around with a questioning hum, and Satoshi changed his mind once again with a small sigh. "Don't let her know I was the one who requested it."

"Oh, right," there was a laugh in that voice, but Dark's studying eyes were the ones that were truly present. "Don't worry, I won't."

* * *

When all the Niwa were gathered, Satoshi straightened the pages before him—more there for a physical source of reference and credibility for the Niwas than his own, as he had already committed the facts to memory—then leaned forward to rest his weight on his arms. He had done briefings before and was not nervous in the least for anything except reactions. "Niwa, is Dark listening?"

Daisuke sat up a little straighter then. "Yeah, he is."

Satoshi nodded. He was confident in the information they had been able to find, and he allowed it to show. "Let me begin by saying that the artifact we are discussing today, the _Hunter's Blade_, is about as old as Dark and Krad, if not a little older. There are no surviving books detailing how or why it was made, and all the facts we were able to uncover is second-hand at best. However, there was no contradictory information in any of the books we referenced, so we are going to continue on the assumption that all of this information is true."

Satoshi paused to let his words sink in. "The _Hunter's Blade_ is mentioned in my ancestors' works as a last resort—a tool for use when an artwork is so out of control, no other measure can stop it. It is also written that it is a tool only the Hikari can use, and once it has been put to use, it is always with the user until death. I believe we saw an example of that when, although it was not in my possession, I was able to use it to slay Seki's portrait through a butter knife."

"So you had used the knife before, Satoshi-kun?" Kosuke interrupted with the question on everyone's minds.

"Once," Satoshi conceded, forcing his mind not to wander back to that night and instead fixing his eyes on those of Dark's on Daisuke's face, but could read nothing there. "From the research material we have and the approximate date of production, I believe we can safely assume the knife is powerful enough to kill any artwork. I believe that was its purpose: to bring down something none of my ancestors could. I do not, however, know what that could have been."

There was a short silence that passed before Daiki spoke up. "Do we know where the knife is now?"

Satoshi had hoped he wouldn't be asked that. "Yes, it is physically stored on the Hikari grounds."

Emiko slapped her hand against the table. "We should go get it! That way—"

"No," the refusal came from somewhere no one expected and everyone turned to see Dark fully present, having changed the instant he wanted his opinion expressed. "That knife is bad news. I'm sure Hiwatari could tell you the damn thing's got a will of its own. There's no telling what it may do if we tried to store it in the same house with all this art."

"I agree, there is definitely a strong presence in the _Hunter's Blade_." Satoshi studied Dark closely, sensing there was something he wasn't seeing here, but it was just beyond his gaze. "Have you had experiences with it in the past?"

Dark pointed down on the table, hoping to make his point strongly before the conversation go too in-depth. "Not up close, but I can tell you this: every Hikari I know of that used that thing too much went crazier than the rest." The warning was clear, but Satoshi knew it had to be more than that. "The knife is cursed. It's safer to let it rest behind whatever seals the Hikari place on it when it's dormant. Besides, Satoshi can call on it any time we need it and he's the only one alive who's supposed to be able to use it. There's no reason to risk letting it into the house."

Daiki considered this for a minute before returning his attention to Satoshi. "Do you agree with him, Hikari-san?"

Satoshi's eyes only left Dark when he finally switched back to Daisuke. "I do." Could it be Dark was actually afraid of the _Hunter's Blade_? Interesting. "The powers of the knife are not well known. With all the information we have, there should be no way to seal it, and there is the possibility of it being able to act on its own. Especially considering that it is extremely powerful, I believe it should be left where it is."

"Very well," Daiki stood as head of the house to announce his decision. "The _Hunter's Blade_ is to be left with the Hikari. Considering Dark's words, our families' history and the current situation, it is also my decision that this knife should not be used any further.

"Hikari-san, we are currently in a truce and if the pattern continues, we will definitely need to be working together in the future. It would not benefit any of us if you were to fall to the madness of your ancestors. It is with this in mind that I am requesting as the Head of House you no longer make use of that knife, no matter the situation." Satoshi saw the politeness as the order it was and some distant part of him seethed at the very idea of it. "I hope you understand."

"I do, Niwa-san," he was still a cooperating prisoner here, not a full ally. His words did not hold the weight they needed. "I thank you for your consideration in this matter. If no one has any more questions, I wish to return to my research." That was the cue everyone was waiting for, and the Niwas all began to wordlessly leave the table, but Satoshi did not want all of them to go just yet. "Niwa—Daisuke," Satoshi corrected himself before the rest of the family turned back. "Would you come with me for a second?"

Daisuke looked confused, but followed Satoshi to all the same, both of them in complete silence as they descended the stairs into the library. Satoshi purposely left the door open, knowing no one had followed to eavesdrop and not trying to make Daisuke feel trapped. Finally, when they had reached the central desk, Daisuke sat on it and Satoshi spoke. "I would like to ask Dark a few questions about the knife. I don't care how we go about this, but tell him he will not continue to have my trust if he refuses this conversation."

Daisuke was outwardly a little worried as he turned inward, and Satoshi could understand that he would be. Even Daisuke wasn't dense enough to think Satoshi had been trusting the Niwas—Dark especially—so long because he wanted to. It was a necessity, a way to smooth things over after Krad's attack and earn some trust until he was allowed to leave. Of course, Satoshi could leave at any time, but that would only restart hostilities, and that was something no one wanted now. So instead, Satoshi was trying to be open with the Niwas and slowly buying freedoms back with it, and that left no room for Satoshi feeling like he had to be wary of Dark.

_Dark, why is Hiwatari-kun being so serious about all this?_

_**Because**_, even to Daisuke, Dark seemed a little on edge from all this, **_He's used it. Anyone who comes into contact with that thing knows how dangerous it is._**

_Is it true? The knife will kill any artwork it touches?_

_**Any piece of art but one**_, Dark stated with more confidence than Daisuke thought he should have.

_Which one? Dark, which one won't it—_

Dark started the transformation process and sent Daisuke to sleep, emerging to a knowing Satoshi, who had been expecting the change. "He's out."

"Tell me what else you know about the knife," Satoshi insisted as Dark hopped off the table and went to close the door to the library.

"You heard everything I know in the meeting," Dark asserted with a smirk, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the many bookshelves.

"Bullshit." Satoshi was done with Dark hiding such vital information from both sides. He was done with pretending to go along with Dark's "Good Half" act, and he was done with letting Dark get away with manipulating the situation to his own benefit. There was no good half, and there was no longer any room for games.

"Why don't you ask Krad?" Dark's tone was mocking, Satoshi worked to ignore it. "I'm sure he knows a lot more about it than I do."

"You and I both know that would be useless. Now tell me, what is it you are hiding from us about the _Hunter's Blade_?"

Dark's ego only grew at Satoshi's frustration. He had hoped for him to respond this way; he needed to see something. Dark had seen a small change in Satoshi, and needed to see it in full swing for himself, and that was why the door had to be shut. It wouldn't do if anyone else got in the way. "I don't believe I have to answer to you, Hikari."

"Dark," Krad didn't flicker within him, everything that flared at every insult was purely Hikari, "I do not need to keep cooperating with you. I could leave, and everything would pick up again from where it left off." There, that was what he was looking for.

"I thought you wanted to end this war, Hikari." That small bit of speech that was not purely Satoshi.

Satoshi turned turned toward Dark sharply then with a disturbing amount of feeling that Satoshi would never allow himself to feel—Seki's rage. "The only thing I truly want to end is the two of you!" The charm on Satoshi's wrist flicked violently in a motion only Dark noticed.

He had pushed Satoshi far enough for today. "This is why I'm telling you keep away from that knife." Dark saw the anger in Satoshi recede, and was glad this was all it took for now. "The thing's already changing you, Hiwatari. If you keep this up, it won't be you in control of that body anymore. I know it looks like the easiest solution right now, but trust me, it'll only cause more problems."

Satoshi took a few seconds to put himself back in check. Dark was right, he was not being his normal self. Even with being effectively trapped here and Dark being Dark, there was no reason for him to be behaving this way. If it really was the knife's influence, then maybe it was too much to be used so readily.

"I'll be sure to mind myself better in the future." That was not the response Dark was hoping for as Satoshi breezed past him. "And do not think I have given up on this topic, Dark. We will discuss this before the next portrait becomes an issue, regardless of the Niwas' opinions on the matter."

Dark was alone in the library then, with nothing but books and a peeved Daisuke. He looked around at the vast collection of books they had gathered over the years, laying just one story below all the stolen art and Dark let out a long sigh.

If not for the art one floor above, now would have been a good time for another "Cultural Revolution".

* * *

A/N: I guess some relationships just get sourer and sourer. I wonder how everyone's taking the story so far.

Chapter Question: Do you think Daiki should have forbidden use of the Hunter's Blade?

So leave me a review so I can get your opinion on things!


	17. I remember those quiet nights

A/N: Short chapter. Very short, actually, because I didn't think it would feel right if I continued into the next part. I'd leave you all with an even crazier cliff-hanger and I'm not so sure I wouldn't be shot.

Still, this is pretty quick for me, since the last I updated was in March? Yeah, March. I'm pretty sure it was March, or late February. At any rate, it still had not taken a year!

I've moved again to some hick town where I could find work, but it's plenty boring so I may have more time to write... provided the internet doesn't provide ample distraction.

But as long as I don't take a year like I used to everything will be forgiven, right?

(Ikite-Yuku is still on hiatus as I try to figure out where my notes went and why things don't feel like they're syncing up right, not that anyone really likes Ikite-Yuku anyway. It's probably going to get redone from the ground up because I like my OCs too much to just ignore them. The whole damn story will end up being about Satoshi, Krad, Dark, and Kenji at this rate...)

Oh, one more note: I had a mis-type in the previous chapter. Dark should have been thinking about the "art" one floor above, not the "books". It has been fixed for a little while now, but I thought I'd mention it now.

Anyway, onto to mini-chapter!

* * *

When Satoshi reached the first level of the basement he paused, carefully feeling out the faint traces of magic left behind from the skirmish with Seki the other day. It had almost completely dissipated, and Satoshi let relief wash over his mind that Argentine was doing a fine job.

"_Perhaps you should check just to be sure."_

There it was again, that serpentine voice of persuasion that had told him to cease helping the Niwas before, coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once, resonating with nothing in the room and responding to nothing but Satoshi's thoughts.

He wasn't hearing voices.

He was hearing a voice.

_Who are you?_

"Satoshi-kun," Kosuke's hand fell softly on Satoshi's shoulder and the boy realized then how suspicious he must have looked staring directly at the sealing chamber. "Emiko-san's almost finished with dinner. You should probably head back upstairs before she finds you down here."

"Thank you, Niwa-san," Satoshi did not miss the calculating and concerned look in Kosuke's eyes as he brushed past him.

* * *

When Kosuke made it down to the library, Dark was still down there, grabbing books seemingly at random, glancing at the title, and then returning them to where they had been before. He didn't even seem to notice Kosuke's presence and the disinterested look on his face didn't falter when he began to speak. "I didn't know you were interested in these books, Dark."

"Yeah, interested." Dark opened the book in his hand, only to flip through the pages rapidly without seeing, and snap it shut more soundly than was needed.

A silence passed between them as Dark continued to shift through the books without any apparent purpose. Even if Dark wasn't interested, Kosuke certainly was. "Dinner is almost ready."

"Yeah, I heard you tell Hiwatari."

"Where's Daisuke?"

Dark's change in focus was abrupt and his eyes were very sharp. "Sleeping." When it was just the two of them, they were always very honest. Dark's trust for Kosuke only extended about as far as the finger Kosuke had placed that cursed ring on from the very beginning, and Kosuke's understanding of Dark and his intentions came entirely from outside sources, none of which had been found to be overly positive.

"You should wake him up; he'd hate to go to bed hungry." So far as Dark could tell, Kosuke sided more with the Hikari's views more than anyone else here, and his position both in family and in knowledge made him a threat that he could never fully face, so instead he moved to leave the library. "And Dark?"

Dark paused, curious in what Kosuke had to say to him when he had already told him to go grab some food.

"I can preserve the books just fine, so please refrain from using your magic on them." Dark hadn't expected him to be that sharp. "It hurts Daisuke, doesn't it."

"He's asleep," Dark reiterated, now thoroughly aggravated.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't feel."

* * *

_Dark?_ Daisuke felt weird talking to him solely in his mind after having gotten so used to talking out loud, but since they didn't have any guest room, Emiko had Satoshi sleeping on a futon in Daisuke's room (or, as she had put it, had ordered Dark and Daisuke to keep watch on him). As much as Daisuke trusted Satoshi and he was sure Satoshi trusted him, his conversations with Dark were private.

Besides, Satoshi sounded like he was sleeping already anyway.

_**Yeah kid?**_

Daisuke hesitated. _You said the knife would kill any work of art but one, right?_

_**You're still on about that?**_ Dark had to give him points for being persistent.

_Which one won't it kill?_ The question was quiet, even in their mind, as if Daisuke knew he probably shouldn't be asking.

Dark's side of the brain gave a long sigh, sounding like he was rolling back over to return to sleep. _**If you think about it long enough, you'll figure it out.**_

_But—_

_**Daisuke, you wanted to get involved, right?**_ Daisuke nodded and Dark almost felt guilty at not being more upfront. _**It's called the Hunter's Blade, Daisuke. When you figure it out, I want you to keep it to yourself, even from Hiwatari.**_

Daisuke almost sat up then, but remembered Satoshi was asleep on the futon by the wall and laid still. _Why?_

_**Because I don't know what everyone will do when they figure it out. Things are getting pretty dangerous right now and we don't need everybody to be worrying about something that's not going to happen.**_ Dark's voice was tired, and not just because Daisuke had woke him up.

_So whichever artwork could use the blade, they won't?_

_**Nope.**_

_Why?_

Daisuke wished then that he hadn't asked, but he didn't know just why at the moment. It wouldn't be until he understood who it was that could wield the knife did he know why Dark's reply scared him so much. _**Because I'll kill him before I let him get anywhere near that thing.**_

* * *

The next three days passed without incident. Daisuke continued to go to school as usual, and Satoshi continued to assist Kosuke's research by translating relevant texts. The spats between Emiko and Satoshi had ceased once Daiki had ordered Emiko to not antagonize their guest, and just that much had improved the general mood around the house, but Kosuke could still see the slow change happening in Satoshi, and he still caught Dark downstairs once in a while, rapidly flipping through the books without glancing at a single page.

And so it came to be a week after Seki had been released, and the day Hotaru would be moved to the museum.

Dark's notice arrived before the painting even made it there.

* * *

A/N: I'm sure it's pretty obvious, but Hotaru would be the next one up on the Hikari line (and once again, comes the reminder that the only things about the Hikari line that are CANON right now are Rio, and the fact that Seki was female.)

I hope you liked this short installment. I feel sort of bad that it's this short, but I didn't want to leave a harsher cliff-hanger. Besides, at this rate, the chapter titles will sync up so much better with the plot than before.

Well, at least closer. I think I'll still be one chapter off unless I can make this baby stretch.

Enough with my rambling. Reviews are like speed to me, and if I'm so giddy I can't sleep, I may just be up all night writing chapters!


	18. Looking up at the stars

A/N: It took a lot of grinding, my my document finally uploaded. Some problem with the servers, or my internet connection, or some combination thereof.

Look out, folks. Shit's about to go nuts.

* * *

When Satoshi's cell phone received a phone call for the first time in more than a week, he quietly excused himself from the library and took the call in the stairwell, slipping the door shut behind him.

"Hiwatari speaking."

"Satoshi! How have you been faring over there?"

"Everything has been just fine, Father." Krad didn't stir within him at all at the mention of the man's title. He couldn't with how tightly in their mind he was bound.

"I'm glad to hear it. I hope you know you are still expected to do your job, Satoshi. Regardless of your current guardians' opinions on the matter."

Satoshi quickly glanced up the stairs to make sure they were still empty. "Such action would be quite difficult at the moment, and not very good for relations."

Kei's sneer could be heard in his voice. "I know, but you wouldn't want all of them to be released at once, now would you?" Satoshi's stomach went cold. "I don't think even that knife of yours could handle that."

Satoshi steeled himself against the part of him that raged at being controlled in this manner. "I understand."

The chuckle that flowed into his ear sounded more pleased than Satoshi thought it should be. "Good." The line went dead.

Satoshi took one last peek up the stairs before returning to the library. Kosuke never gave any indication that he had noticed Satoshi had left.

* * *

Hours later, Satoshi looked across the room at the clock and knew it was time to make his move. He shut the book he had been translating from and discretely pulled the charm from his wrist.

"I won't stop you," Kosuke didn't seemed fazed in the slightest and somehow, Satoshi wasn't surprised that Kosuke had known he was going to leave. "I just want to know that you think you're doing the right thing."

"I don't know that yet," came Satoshi's honest response, and Kosuke knew his words to be true.

Things were happening too quickly for Satoshi to stay trapped here tiptoeing on eggshells, and Kosuke wasn't one to let Dark to do as he pleased. He only had one request of the boy he was putting so much faith in: "Don't hurt them."

Satoshi wanted to remind Kosuke of the same basic fact he had pointed out several times over the past weeks, but he didn't want to waste anymore time. "I don't intend to." It was as good a promise as Satoshi could give; Kosuke knew that.

"There's a secret exit behind the bookshelf opposite the door. I've been using it to move some of the more important books out of here." Kosuke stood then, picking up a paper charm he had tucked between the pages of the book he had been reading. "Dark has been tampering with them somehow. Don't believe anything Daisuke brings you from this library unless he tells you I have sent it." Kosuke locked the main door and placed the seal across the jamb. "You should go before Emiko realizes I'm not watching you anymore."

Satoshi wanted to remind Kosuke of the same basic fact he had pointed out several times over the past weeks, but he didn't want to waste anymore time. "Thanks." Just as Kosuke said, the bookshelf swung away from the wall easily, and the older man watched as Satoshi disappeared into the old and neglected stairwell.

It was then Kosuke looked around the Niwa archives with a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I think Emiko-san may just kill me for real this time."

Argentine withdrew his hand from the thick wood of the main door as he felt the effects of the seal activate in full, and began to climb the stairs himself. It was time.

* * *

Kei placed the small mirror he had been holding on the table gingerly, so as not to anger it. If Argentine was correct in what he had reported, then Satoshi was indeed several times stronger than he had been before, simply by killing off a few of the weaker, more recent members of the Hikari Family, and that copy of his.

The very knowledge of it made that grin of his stretch even wider than usual.

The Hunter's Blade laid in its sheath on the table, and Kei let it be for now. Satoshi could have Hotaru if he liked, it wouldn't make much of a difference now. The experiment was a success, and soon he would be able to claim the inheritance his side of this family had always been denied, as the sons of the forgotten twin.

The knife disappeared then, leaving nothing but the sheath, and Kei snatched it up eagerly.

A chuckle escaped his lips, dripping with the reaches of insanity even his family had managed to keep, and Kei turned to the true portrait of his distant cousin and only love—to the portrait he had stolen away like the thief they had all despised to love as his and his alone, the replica of which Satoshi had slain that first night—Hikari Rio.

"Not much longer now."

* * *

It took longer to leave the house than usual with Emiko's constant fussing and pleas to just be careful, but they left with plenty of time. _Are you sure it's OK that Satoshi's waiting at the house? Maybe we should bring him with us to help out. I mean—we were barely able to drag Seki back last time._

Well, it was nice to know Daisuke still had the utmost confidence in his partner. _**Yeah, because Krad showed up and gave it a boost.**_

_But still, I really don't like that he's not allowed to help when he's the only one who can stop them._

_**The only reason he needs to stop them is because he's the one activating them, Daisuke.**_ The museum came into view in the distance.**_ Trust me, he doesn't have Krad as under control as he's letting you think._** Daisuke decided to sleep then and Dark thought it was for the better. Still, he was glad that Daisuke had never noticed Satoshi leave.

When Dark arrived at the museum, Satoshi was already there, knife in hand, waiting for them. "Good evening, Dark."

"Hikari," Dark returned, knowing full well that the person in front of him was not fully Satoshi anymore. If he were, he would have already done away with the painting. Instead, he was waiting, ready to prove a point.

Dark was only half-right.

"Kei knows where the remaining portraits are hidden," the smugness was there, but none of the rage he should have held at being in such close contact with the knife. There was no sign of resistance, as if the knife was working with him instead of manipulating him, and Dark didn't want to think of why. "I am going to finish this nonsense before it gets out of control."

"Do you really think you can handle that?" Dark took a step closer, but Satoshi did not react at all. "Killing just two of them has changed you, right? Just think about what could happen to you if you try to kill them all at once." Dark could see clearly that his words were not reaching the boy, and he only had one card left up his sleeve. "You don't want to be a murderer, Satoshi."

"It isn't murder." It became plain to Dark then that Satoshi still did not know exactly what the portraits were. Either he didn't know, or he was denying the truth. One thing was clear to Dark: Satoshi no longer gave a damn what happened to him. "These paintings are dangerous, and someone has been activating them—"

"_Krad_ has been activating them—!"

"And I will bring all this madness to an end before they have a chance to hurt anyone again." It was a ruse, and Satoshi was disappointed Dark didn't see right through it. Satoshi had the distinct feeling that Kei had the room bugged and that he was listening in at that very moment. If he could get the man to panic somehow, he would move to protect the paintings further, and then Satoshi would make his move.

Of course, Kei didn't panic easily, so he had to put on airs that were easier to don than Satoshi would have thought, and now all that was left was a show of power. He needed to upset this balance. He needed to play this game better than Kei had been or things really would get out of hand. He needed to come out on top. He _had to_ beat this.

And if Dark did not see through his act, then he would have to move for real.

Krad was straining in the back of his mind to let out any kind of power—to connect with Hotaru in any way. Satoshi would not allow that anymore; he had learned better last time. "Do you understand, Dark? This has to be done."

Dark stayed five feet away from Satoshi, ready to dodge that damn knife if it came to that, and watched as Satoshi poured a bit of himself into it and killed the Portrait of Hikari Hotaru with no effort at all.

_It has to be done_, Satoshi told himself once more before he released the knife and let it return to where it belonged, nothing more than a pocketknife before it hit the ground.

Argentine, in his lizard form, watched as his former master was absorbed into Satoshi, then left to return to his true home in the Hikari Mansion.

* * *

By the time Kei had arrived at Satoshi's apartment, the blade had returned itself to its sheath, and this pleased him. Soon. Soon he would have all the power due him, just as he and Krad had agreed.

Satoshi was too weak. Satoshi was against them.

Once Kei had killed off the stronger line and taken his share of the inheritance, the Hikari would see a new era of greatness—one that was his and his alone.

He and Krad would take back everything that had been denied them, and then this power—this _glorious_ power—would be all theirs.

Soon.

Krad's seal did not even fight against him as he opened the door to the room with all the art.

* * *

There it was again, Emiko could feel it. The strong sensation of art—the same one she had felt before, the one that had merely flickered before and had disappeared from existence, and it was coming from the same place as before. "Kosuke-san?" Things were off again. She could feel Hikari magic in the museum, and Hikari magic at the apartment.

But the sensation of Hikari magic in her house was strangely empty.

"Kosuke-san?" She was rushing down the stairs now. They should have never trusted that Hikari boy. There was no way any Hikari would ever stand by and watch as Niwas stole their art.

She tried the lock on the library but it wouldn't move. "Kosuke-san? Kosuke-san!"

On the other side of the door, Kosuke continued to smuggle out the last of the remaining untampered books, marking the first instance of anyone successfully stealing important material from the Niwas in their known history. He only hoped Satoshi could hold on until all this madness could come to pass.

* * *

Dark could feel the presence of the art in the back of his mind, and wished he had taken care of it before it had come to this. Back then, he had kept a reasonable rival and a life that was balanced and comfortable. Now, things were falling apart around him and there was only one thing he could do about it. "Understand?" He'd have to get rid off those portraits before Satoshi could drive himself any further from sanity. "The only thing I understand, Hikari, is that you are no different from your ancestors."

He'd have to kill them himself—take their madness himself, drink in their strength himself, and then he would find a way to end this war himself because there was no way he was leaving 300 years of war and power up to the weakest yet in his line of enemies. "Too bad." Daisuke would never forgive him. "I really did have high hopes for you."

Dark leapt for Satoshi, but the teen was one step ahead. "Be still." And under the weight of two simple words, Dark found that he couldn't move.

Satoshi let out a small smile, more Hikari than he had ever been before. "I knew it. After 300 years, you are still a piece of Hikari art, Dark."

"Satoshi!"

Satoshi paid him no mind; he didn't even seem to notice Dark was already on his feet as he walked away. "For your sake, I hope the spell wears off before the police investigate."

Those damn Hikari were always so proud. "Hikari!" The blow to his back surprised Satoshi more than Dark thought it should have, and Satoshi hit the far wall hard. "Don't you underestimate me. I'm different from those weak ancestors of yours."

"So you are," Satoshi muttered as he rose from the floor. "I won't make that mistake twice."

It was then that Dark noticed that Satoshi's hair was darker now than when they had met, gone from being an icy blue to a more pronounced shade of aqua, and his eyes had taken on a greener hue, making him much more like his grandmother in appearance, and now that Dark thought about it, Satoshi was beginning to rival Seki in strength as well.

Maybe he was less Satoshi than Dark had thought, and he didn't want to imagine what would happen when Satoshi's body would fully take in Hotaru.

Dark didn't have time to think on the matter before he had deflect a basic energy attack and dodge a second one. "Dammit, I don't want to fight you!"

"I still have to catch you, Dark." Satoshi noticed then that the feeling of being watched had vanished without him noticing and he decided it was time to end this farce. " I am the head of this investigation, after all."

Satoshi's blasts kept coming and coming and Dark wondered distantly where Satoshi was getting all this stamina. "Don't you think we have better things to worry about?"

"Yes," Satoshi's next attack came from behind and Dark had no time to be surprised before he fell to the floor. Satoshi was a little disappointed that Dark had fallen for his illusions so easily after the original attack, but it all worked out for the best. "So don't get in my way."

By the time Dark had managed to rise, he was scorched and exhausted, and Satoshi was long gone. Knowing he would never be able to beat Satoshi back to the art, climbed out the window and depended on Wyth's strength for the long flight home.

* * *

Their proud faces all stared back at him, but Kei paid them no mind. These images feared him now. Surely they all knew what was to come. He was going to take what should have been his from the beginning. He was going to show all of them to never neglect the younger son.

And so he turned towards the youngest remaining member of the Hikari family with all the menace he had been raised to have against him. This had been his ancestor's elder brother. This had been the twin that had made it into the family history. This had been the cause for all his family's neglect.

But not anymore.

Kei drew the blade and it didn't fight him. The blood-thirst from it fueled him and his desire to right every wrong Fate had ever dealt him. It fueled him and pushed him and he finally knew what it meant to be a true Hikari.

But as he raised the Hunter's Blade against the portrait, a single voice rang out proud and absolutely sure.

"_You will never be a Hikari."_

* * *

Dark barely managed not to crash down on the balcony when Daisuke woke up in the back of their mind. _Dark?_

"Yeah, Daisuke?" He was tired, and he already knew. He didn't need this. He already knew, dammit, and he didn't need this.

_Something's wrong._

* * *

Satoshi followed his instincts to a room he had never been in before—a room he never bothered with because he had never needed the space, a room he had naturally stayed away from without ever knowing why.

The doors were wide open and the smell of fresh blood assaulted his senses.

When Satoshi eyes held the offending sight, he was not scared. He was not afraid, and he was not sad.

Instead, he walked to the center of the room where one portrait laid half-dead in the center with the knife sticking out, and he took that blade in hand and turned it against the struggling painting, more dead inside than he had felt in many, many years.

He addressed all the works of art then, painting, song, book, and statue alike.

"I will not allow you to kill."

* * *

Deep within, Krad grinned wide, strung up with chains and letting Satoshi believe he was as feeble as he let on.

That Hiwatari fool was right, but in all the wrong ways.

It was time, indeed.

* * *

A/N: Ok, because I know this is going to confuse the hell out of people, Satoshi's great-great grandfather had a twin that was not mentioned except once in passing in one record in the Niwa's possession (reference chapter 10). Kei is the descendant of that twin. And so once again, we have me dropping tiny hints back in the story that come back to bite you.

I just love doing that, you know. Actually, there are a few things that refer back to that one paragraph, and I'm sure you guys remember the room with all the portraits from chapter 4. And there's no way anyone's forgotten the knife yet.

Leave me a review so I don't think I just spent an hour trying to make this chapter upload for nothing!


	19. You say it's nothing to you now

A/N: I'm getting quicker at churning these out.

This isn't an action chapter, and it's actually really short, but this marks the end of Part One. I'll continue updating in this story, though, instead of making a new one.

I caught up on the latest DNAngel chapters, and I couldn't believe how close I was in my wild guessing. The line between Daisuke and Dark really is blurring, and Satoshi and Kei really are related! I'll tell you what, I had a good and proper flip-out session. And then, the cliff-hanger-! GAH!

I got a Tumblr, too. That's been a good time-sink. Actually, I've had one since December, so I suppose it'd be better to say it has been a good time-sink.

Don't necessarily expect quick updates after this. I've got a job and a time-sink and not so much inspiration, so uh... yeah. As long as I'm not taking a year like I used to then everything should be fine and dandy, right? (And I wonder why so many of you hate me; I'm just as bad as Sugisaki.)

Anyway, on with the chapter!

* * *

Something in the back of Satoshi's mind had always known that Krad wished to paint the walls red with Kei's blood, but he had never thought that he would do it, nor that one of his ancestors would do it for him while stuck in a painting, nor that in one night he would kill them all.

He didn't know why he knew they were his ancestors or why another voice had joined the female's in his head. He didn't know why Kei had come here or why he had tried to use the Hunter's Blade. He did not know why his brain refused to make a single coherent thought.

This room was drenched with magic—filled to the brim with it. Yes, that had to be it. It was all this buzzing in his ears, drowning out even the whispers until they, too, became no more than white noise.

Krad slipped into his ghostly form without effort or opposition and wrapped his arms around Satoshi's still frame in a way much more gentle than he ever had before, whispering words in his ears that Satoshi had not heard in almost a year.

"My Satoshi-sama. My wonderful, perfect, _beautiful_ Satoshi-sama."

Dawn peaked through the curtains, showing for the first time how truly and gloriously red the room was. The night had finally come to an end, but Krad's soft mantra never ceased.

* * *

Even after he had finally calmed Emiko down, even after Dark had broken down the door to find Kosuke and several books missing as well, even after they had placed numerous seals and protective spells around the house, even after they had discovered Argentine was long gone, Dark did not sleep.

He sat in the window, watching, waiting. Tonight had been critical, and he had failed. Whether Krad came for them tonight or not would help Dark see what his plans were. That was what he had told everyone when he had chosen to stand guard that night.

It was a lie. Dark knew that, and he was pretty sure Daisuke knew as well, because Dark wasn't the only one monitoring the movement and degree of magic as the night wore on.

_It's over, isn't it, Dark._

Daisuke was calm and quiet in their head as both of them stared directly toward Satoshi's apartment. Dark had told Daisuke once everything had calmed down that Satoshi had beat him to the paintings—that Dark had planned to get rid of them that night—and things would be very, very different from here on out.

_**What do you feel, Daisuke?**_ Dark knew the way he sensed magic was different from Daisuke's. Dark could feel the intensity and type of magic in use, but Daisuke's was different. It was Kosuke's blood in him—Dark knew it had to be—and everything to Daisuke was different.

_Whatever was happening stopped._ Was the plain answer Daisuke could immediately come up with. He was tired, and his mind screamed for rest, but both of them knew neither of them would be resting for a while yet. _My ears aren't ringing anymore._

There was more.

_But there's still something wrong. There's something bad out there, Dark, and it's strong. I can't get my mind off it._

Dark had often wondered how Kosuke had known to come back when he had. He wondered if Kosuke could tell when something was going wrong. He wondered if Kosuke had sensed him as something bad in his son that he just couldn't ignore.

_Do you think he killed them?_

Daisuke already knew that answer. Dark knew he didn't want to hear it.

_**Yeah, kid.**_ Every last piece of art in that room was gone, and the magic hadn't dispersed. Satoshi was slowly taking all of it into himself. **_I'm pretty sure he did._**

* * *

The call had come from a neighbor. There had been screams and crashes coming from the apartment last night, and there hadn't been a single noise since. "Hurry," the male on the other end had said, "I think he killed somebody."

Saehara was the first to the doorway. At first, all he could see about this room was blood. Blood on the ceiling, blood on the walls, slowly dripping down to the floor, where the carpet was absolutely soaked with the life-giving fluid. It wasn't just blood, either. Here and there lay a bone, and one could only guess at what each chunk of meat had been before. In the time it had taken for Saehara to break his transfixed stare on the state of the room, his partner had already revisited his breakfast in the hall.

It was at the lurching sound that the only thing immaculate in the entire room finally moved, and Saehara's hand automatically drifted to his side. Satoshi's movements were slow, languid, and almost more disturbing than the state of the room. He turned, inch by inch, toward the intruders. And right before the owlish blink, Saehara could have sworn his superior's eyes had been the most eerie shade of gold. To Saehara, Satoshi's eyes held no recognition of anything ground in reality and Satoshi stilled, remaining crouched and feral and so damn clean Saehara couldn't believe he was in the room at all.

"Commander," Saehara greeted clearly, and for a moment, Satoshi did nothing more than blink once more, watching and waiting for what the detective's next move would be, but it never came.

Magic surged just beneath his skin, begging and screaming to be used, to rid him of the unnecessary man in the doorway. The man was here to harm Him, the voices of his ancestors whispered in his ears, their once treacherous voices now his very strength and livelihood. Kill him. Kill him and run. If that man is dead, You will be safe; the Line must be preserved. Kill him kill him kill **kill**!

At the sight of Saehara tapping his gun, a shred of sanity returned to Satoshi and it was all he needed to take a firm grasp of what reality he needed to not be thrown into an asylum then and there.

The animal in Satoshi settled, but Satoshi didn't budge. "It wasn't me," words laced with magic and power in ways Satoshi had never been able to use it before—the natural rhythm and rise and fall and _breath_ turning into song, into art. "I came home and smelled the blood—"

Saehara visibly relaxed. "It's alright, Commander." His gaze floated to Satoshi's side, where a knife lay, and he could only pray there was not a single trace of Satoshi on it. Now he could see the mutilated paintings beneath the blood, and the only one whole on the floor. He could see the stacks in the corner and the piano by the bay windows, looking almost as if it had been sliced in two. But what kind of being would be able to do that with just a knife? "Let's get you out of here."

Satoshi stood in agreement, the simple movement a powerful dance, and Saehara wrapped his coat around his shoulders. Before leaving the scene, Saehara took one last glance back at what was left of Hiwatari Kei.

* * *

Satoshi exited the shower with hair as black as any regular Japanese person's would be and made a show to throw away the box of dye. He hadn't used it and it all had washed down the drain, but there had to be a logical reason in these humans' minds as to why his hair was suddenly dark.

After all, he couldn't very well tell the Saeharas that his hair was dark because he had devoured his ancestors now, could he?

It was one illusion he could drop and it was a little liberating to do so. His eyes would just have to stay guarded for now—at least until he could appropriate some colored contacts. Satoshi hadn't known how he had known to conjure these illusions or how he had known how to do so, but he wasn't about to look that luck in the mouth, especially when it had saved him the burden of explaining why his hair and eye color had suddenly changed.

It was rather easy to convince the Detective to stop by the store on the way to the Saehara's apartment after the elder had asserted Satoshi would be staying with them for his protection. His blue hair stood out too easily, and blending in was the best option. Saehara had readily agreed.

Takeshi was another matter. "So why do you have to stay with us?"

Satoshi worked to keep a condescending smile off his face. "Because your father thought it would be dangerous for me to stay by myself, considering we have not been able to contact my father—" _because the fool had done himself in_ "—and my apartment has been sealed off as a crime scene."

"But why with us?"

"My father is—" _was_ "—the chief of the police out here, Saehara-kun. Your father owes him to ensure my safety." _Not to mention the fact that I also happen to be both the prime suspect and your father's Superior._ Satoshi adjusted his useless glasses against his face, the frames no longer holding the magic they once had. He didn't need it, not anymore. "We suspect that I may have been the true target. As far as the police are concerned, I am still in danger."

"_We_ suspect?" Satoshi felt some amusement in how sharp Takeshi could be sometimes, but he didn't offer a response. He wanted to see just how close Takeshi could get. "I know you're involved with the Dark Investigations, Hiwatari. I've _seen_ you fight him." Takeshi faced Satoshi fully, stopping just short of pointing a finger in his chest. "I don't know why your dad would send you out there by yourself to get him, but I know there's nothing normal about it."

Ah, so that's how much he knew. Sharp, sharp son of the Detective. There was some part of Satoshi that was pleased—most of those parts in the increasing number of whispers in his mind—but Satoshi managed to keep it all off his face.

"There's nothing normal about whatever happened in that apartment, Hiwatari, and I know you know more about it than you're telling my dad. What the hell did you do?"

Satoshi looked Takeshi straight in the eyes then, knowing every word that was about to spill from his mouth was the truth, and he never noticed the small trickle of magic that escaped him just then. "Whatever happened there was done before I arrived home, Saehara-kun. Your father will be able to confirm I was fighting Dark most of the night last night." Takeshi backed off, never suspecting that Satoshi would own up to being the one who held off Dark all this time. "There is simply no way I could have done something like that."

Takeshi paused, an unsure look passing his face, before he gave up and plopped down on the bed. "There's something weird about you today, Hiwatari. You're not acting normal."

"I'm not," Satoshi conceded, opting to look out the window now, and never seeing Takeshi glance back up. "I don't think there is anyone who could act normal after seeing something like that."

Takeshi got up then, already late for school, and his next words sounded more concerned than Satoshi thought they would be. "Will you be ok?"

The steady flow of commentary from his ancestors ceased for one relieving moment, and Satoshi's reply was much more honest than anything else that had come out of his mouth that day. "I don't know yet."

Takeshi could accept that. "I'll see you after school."

* * *

Daisuke spent the day in a daze, but Dark was out cold in the back of his head. Both were exhausted from the night before, but Daisuke knew it would be too suspicious to keep missing the days following a heist, so he powered through it.

So when Takeshi cornered him at lunch, Daisuke was less than prepared to keep up. "Hey," it had to be important if Takeshi wasn't announcing something at the top of his lungs, "My dad's found Hiwatari. He's got him staying at our place."

Daisuke was glad Dark was sleeping. "Hiwatari-kun? Why?"

Takeshi continued with an undercurrent of conspiracy in his voice. "I think his dad was killed at his place. Dad said there was blood everywhere. No one's been able to contact him, either." Daisuke gulped. "I thought you'd like to know since you're his best friend and all—or as close to it as he gets anyway."

Daisuke stayed silent for a minute, not even able to think about Takeshi's words on any real level. It wasn't something he wanted to think about. "Do—do you think he did it?"

"No way." Daisuke felt Takeshi had dismissed the possibility far too easily. "But he is acting weird, Daisuke. Weird even for him."

There wasn't much else Daisuke could do, so he smiled one of his smiles and rested a hand on Takeshi's shoulder. "Thanks, Saehara." Lunch was almost over then and Daisuke took careful measures to hide all his thoughts from this period from Dark. He had no doubts that Satoshi had killed Kei, but Satoshi was still Daisuke's friend. If Kei was dead, then there had to have been no other way around it.

Satoshi had never reached out to hurt them, and despite all that had happened, Daisuke still trusted him.

Dark could never know what Takeshi had just told him.

Daisuke wasn't entirely sure why, but Dark could never know.

* * *

That night, Dark took over Daisuke's body to keep watch, and Daisuke went immediately to sleep.

There was so sleep for Satoshi, despite the dozens of sweet lullabies echoing in his head. The one voice that could have soothed him was not there.

She was still alive and whole, and that could go on much longer.

Satoshi had never suspected the previous thought had been entirely Krad's.

* * *

Detective Saehara had opted to work from home the next day to keep an eye on Satoshi, who in the eyes of the police was still considered a suspect, and he expected all news to come in the form of a phone call, email, or fax. He simply had no patience to be interrupted by some rookie who decided something was so important it had to be said face-to-face. Hell, they had already identified the remains as Kei—a fact Saehara was keeping away from Satoshi until he felt he was ready to hear it—and it wasn't like there was anything else that would warrant the trip over.

So when the doorbell rang in the middle of the day, he had stood to answer it with the intention of thoroughly telling off whatever messenger had wasted everyone's time coming to his door, but the person he saw was nobody employed by the police.

This man was well-dressed, dark-skinned, and light-haired, and he greeted the Detective with more grace than Saehara thought anyone on the force possessed. "Hello, my name is Argentine Hikari, and I am here to retrieve Satoshi."

_Hikari, Hikari._ Saehara had heard that name somewhere before numerous times, but he wasn't quite sure where. "What is your relation?"

"He's employed at my father's house, Detective." Satoshi had sensed Argentine before he had reached the property and had come to the door when he felt it was appropriate, but his sudden input had startled Saehara all the same.

"You know him, Commander?" Saehara was on edge, and Satoshi hadn't expected anything less.

"Of course." Argentine stood still and silent before Satoshi, waiting for any cue, but Satoshi needed not give him one. "He's been with my family a very long time."

Saehara didn't seem convinced. "How did he know to come here?"

Satoshi's eyes drifted to Argentine, sending a silent message that the artwork couldn't miss. _Improvise_. "I was informed of Mr. Hiwatari's passing by the police this morning. As Satoshi's legal guardian, I was directed here." Argentine took care to keep his gaze on Saehara, but didn't miss the flash of gold in Satoshi's eyes just then. "I was told I could keep Satoshi in my care."

Saehara considered this, and Satoshi knew Argentine's words wouldn't be enough. "It's alright, Detective." Magic flowed through his words as everything in Satoshi focused on convincing the man. He didn't want to have to fight his way out of this—a fight would only cause trouble—he had to make this man choose to release him. "If that really was my father in there, then I can't investigate this as it would be a conflict of interest. And you don't need me distracting you from this matter."

"True," that was it; Satoshi had him. It just took a few more seconds for Saehara to realize this as well. "I'll be calling to check on you, Commander. Whoever did this may be after you as well. Be careful."

"Of course." Satoshi crossed that threshold into freedom and there was no one else to stand in his way. "Good day, Detective."

As soon as they left, Saehara sat back in front of his computer, his curiosity driving him to determine just how he had known Hikari. He checked his contacts, he checked the politicians, he even checked the movie stars. It wasn't until he looked through the police databases that he understood. There was never any Argentine, but there were references to every piece of art Satoshi had defended, and the name of a very influential family throughout the years.

And there at the bottom was a record of birth, with references to a name changed after adoption. The name of the son of the woman in the first portrait that was released and stolen, a name Saehara had never known before even if he had been working under him the past year: Hikari Satoshi.

Everything seemed wrong and Saehara rushed to the door to look up and down the street, hoping to catch sight of a man who shouldn't exist and a boy whose legacy had been unknown to him until a minute ago, but they were nowhere to be found.

* * *

A/N: Yup, Satoshi's going nuts. You would, too, if you had Krad and a whole slew of murderous ancestors in your head.

Leave me reviews, because I don't smoke, and I don't drink coffee, and if I'm ever to be a writer, I'll need some kind of vice, so I suppose snorting some love would have to do.

Can you tell it's late here? I can tell. I'm always kind of weird when it's late. Then again, it's always lat when I update.

Erm, yes-! Reviews! Please? Let me know I haven't failed you too badly!


	20. We're like Venus and Mars

AN: So, you know all those lies I always tell about not taking a whole year to update? Yeah, sorry.

You'll notice in some parts of the chapter, some basic grammatical rules about run-on sentences, capitalization, and usage of punctuation go completely out the window and these are intentional stylistic choices.

Again, not a whole lot of action in this chapter ar far as confrontations go, and really, there's not going to be any more actual (physical) fighting until the very end. There will be fights for control, of course, and a whole lot of struggle, but not a whole lot of actual action.

If anything confused you in the past, or does confuse you in this chapter, please feel free to ask me questions. I know I'm not the best at clearing things up in-story and I'm trying to work on that. So you asking questions about difficult plot points will help me be more clear in the future.

That being said, this chapter is where everything starts to truly go nuts.

Enjoy!

* * *

_**Daisuke, we need to see what happened at Hiwatari's place.**_

The words came across the thought barrier as soon as Daisuke was beyond the school gates. Of course they did. It was obvious they couldn't just sit around and wait for Satoshi or Krad, or whoever they had become now, to do something before they even had a chance to see just what was happening.

In the small part of his mind Daisuke kept secret, he knew this wouldn't end well. Kei was dead. Kei was dead, and if Saehara was right, it was gruesome. There was no way the apartment was deserted yet, and the evidence of just what had happened there would definitely still be there.

Dark couldn't see it. He just couldn't.

_We should leave it alone. _Daisuke could feel a curious and suspicious spark from across their consciousness, but he ignored it. _Something feels very bad over there, Dark. I think we should just leave it alone for now. Just until we get over last night._

There was a silence in their mind and for the briefest of moments, Daisuke didn't think Dark was just going to chalk it up to Daisuke's scarily accurate instincts. _**Yeah. If they left something there, it'd probably kill us in this state. **_Daisuke nodded, hiding his relief in the furthest corner of his mind. Dark bought it; everything would be OK for just a little while longer.

Dark's next words shattered that feeling of alright as Daisuke felt just as cold and separated as he had back in the museum when they had stolen the Portrait of Hikari Rio. For the first time since that terrifying ordeal, Dark had felt so distant and so completely wrong in his mind that Daisuke almost wished he hadn't said anything at all.

_**Let's go home, Daisuke. It's time we stopped fooling around.**_

* * *

When they'd come home, there were no traps. In the back of their mind, Daisuke knew there would never be any traps ever again. After all this was over, there would never be need for this training, there would never be a need to hone his senses or be on alert or go on late-night heists ever again. Because whatever was happening, it was different from anything they knew.

Nothing was going to be the same for them again.

This was the end.

That thought came from Dark's side of them, and Daisuke tried not to think about what that meant. He tried not to think of how final the word "end" was. He tried not to think that someone else was going to die. He tried not to think that Dark would die, that Satoshi would die, that _he_ would die.

And although it was Dark's side that came up with the fact that this would be the end, Dark himself was silent and felt completely separate from that part of them.

Daisuke tried not to think about what that meant.

Dark brought them downstairs to the basement in silence until they were in the storeroom where they kept the art.

_**Do you know why the Niwas sealed the art all these years, Daisuke?**_ Daisuke didn't speak, and Dark moved them over to an old painting. It was simple piece, nothing more than a vase of flowers that Daisuke remembered being rather lackluster growing up. It was much more vibrant now, but no more powerful. The same could be said about most of the art down here after all the attentions Argentine paid them. Every last piece was stunning, but chained.

Daisuke hated it.

_**I taught them to seal them so I could keep them away from Krad.**_

There was something sick in the chuckle that followed those words, in the grin that was plastered on their face. Daisuke could feel his muscles stretch into an expression he had never remembered wearing. There was revulsion there, and the feeling was so foreign, Daisuke couldn't be certain where it had really come from—

Until the memories that had once been so guarded flowed steadily into their shared mind. Vague recollections of the carnage Krad had caused not just the Niwas, but anyone who had stood in his way. Images of blood and pale faces and graves, and Krad—Krad wielding a sword that was now in their care, Krad connecting with a painting that now laid in a back corner gathering dust, Krad animating a statue that had been broken until Argentine had come along... And Dark sealing them all.

But there was something wrong, and Daisuke's blood tingled with it. His ears rang and his vision wouldn't focus properly, and there was just something so intrinsically not-good about what Dark was telling him and what Dark was about to do and who Dark was now that Daisuke had trouble living Dark's memories.

Now, their fingers ran along the frame, the hairs on their arm standing on end as if electricity surged through it. There was a reverence in their movement Daisuke had never known Dark to possess. The Dark he was familiar with hated the Hikari and everything that came from them.

The Dark in control now seemed to be just barely reigned in. There was something inside making him hold himself back for now and Daisuke could only wonder how much longer he would be able to recognize Dark before this stranger in his mind took over.

_**It's time you understood that was a lie.**_ In a steady breath that burned Daisuke, Dark unlocked the painting. There was no quiet apology for using the magic, no tacit agreement that it was necessary. It was simply Dark using their body in the best and most natural way he knew how. **_I've told a lot of lies, Daisuke, and you deserve to understand why I had to do that._** Dark inhaled a breath of a man who had gone months without a cigarette and was getting that first wondrous hit again, and with that lungful came the magic form the painting. It flowed into them as air into blood and when Dark finally felt he had absorbed all he could off that lungful, he exhaled and took in another, and another, and another, until Daisuke was dizzy from the sudden influx of power.

And through it all, the painting turned slowly black.

* * *

There was a time long ago when the Niwa art collection was vast.

There was a time long ago when the Niwas had feared Dark as much as Krad.

There was a time long ago when the main branch of the Niwa family had slowly been killed off until Dark's then-current host had been the only one remaining.

At that time Dark, with the knowledge that Krad was soon to follow, absorbed all the power he could from the works he could get to, then set fire to the store room and destroyed every last piece of art in his possession.

Krad had won soon after. Dark had been killed and he was reborn into a lesser branch of the Niwa clan.

That was when They understood that just winning was not enough.

That great fire and subsequent copy-cats that followed (be they other branches of the Niwa clan, vandals, or government officials) became known as the Cultural Revolution.

Dark had taken that opportunity to influence the more naive members of the family fate had moved him to and remake his image into one worthy of love and respect.

Through the course of over a century, Dark had been able to maintain the facade all the way to the host he lived in now.

Krad had never won a battle since.

* * *

_**I'm sorry, Daisuke.**_

And maybe Dark was sorry, but Daisuke was too overwhelmed by the influx of new information in the shared area of their mind that there was no way he could have been able to process Dark's words.

_**This will all be over soon.**_

* * *

There was no sleep to be had for Satoshi that night, no matter how long he tossed and turned in the bed Argentine had prepared in the master suite—not with his head feeling far too full with ceaseless chatter and the white noise of all the magical energy in this place. When he had been younger and weak, he had not been able to sleep because of the singular voice and influence of Krad, and now that he was strong enough to hold him off, it was his ancestors he had to contend with, along with the incessant hum of magic.

He fought for sleep until Venus rose over the Eastern horizon, then flung his sheets aside and wandered his childhood home with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders to fight off the twilight chill. His bare feet padded along the icy tile floor.

Each painting he passed reached out to him with spindly fingers, all of them weak from centuries of neglect, each of them recognizing him as Creator and Master even though his hands had never graced their frames.

_It is because you are Us now, Satoshi._

_I live in you; We live in you._

_We are You._

_We are unstoppable._

_Invincible._

_We are God._

Satoshi kept the voices pushed as far to the back as he could force them. They were wrong. He was still in control, and he was not them. He was not them, and he was not Daisuke. He could and would keep his self separate from the mess in his head for however long it took.

With a deeper breath than he intended, Satoshi willed those thoughts to be true, and that lungful of air filled with magic that he exhaled. When it was readily absorbed by the statue he was passing, Satoshi reminded himself he must be much more careful from now on. In a moment of irrationality, he had taken on much more power than he had realized or intended, and all that energy strained at his mortal shell. It pushed at him from all sides and it seemed as though he was going to burst at the seams and the constant cacophony from his ancestors threatened to drive him mad and he almost took another willful breath if only to expel that much more magic and relieve himself of that much more pressure because it was becoming too much and he wasn't sure he could take it much longer and he knew it would only cause him that much more trouble but if he didn't it would only be a matter of time before he was truly overwhelmed and—

Argentine was there before him and took both sides of his head in his hands. Before Satoshi could comprehend what was happening, their foreheads touched and Satoshi could feel the release as some of his magic passed itself into Argentine.

"i am here, Creator," Satoshi relaxed just a fraction more when he felt Krad thrum angrily in the back of his mind. If Krad and his ancestors were protesting this, then maybe Argentine was really on his side. "i am Here."

As some of the magic left him, Satoshi felt his mind silence and he lost himself to sleep for the first time in nearly three days, but not without first murmuring a Thanks to his only ally.

* * *

Argentine sank down to the ground with Satoshi and pulled back only when his eyes had drooped shut. He regarded the way Satoshi's chest rose and fell in deep, even breaths and the way the stress had melted off of his face, and the dark patches that rested under his eyes. Creator had always worked so hard, but that wasn't who was here slumped against his chest as Argentine rocked back on his heels and settled against the wall, holding Satoshi close and warding off all the other art.

This was Creator, and all the Creators before and after, and none of them at all. This was the harbinger of the end and the sum of nearly a millennium of magic and a three centuries' war. But what Argentine guarded at that moment was more base and honest than any of those observations before, and nothing like how the man behaved in his waking hours.

Satoshi was a child.

He was a sleeping, defenseless child who had taken on far too much far too soon, and there were many rushing in to take advantage of it all. There were ancestors and art and Krad and even the magic itself, all clamoring to overwhelm and control the brittle form in his arms.

And Satoshi was brittle, and so very close to breaking, and Argentine was acutely aware of it all. Perhaps, Argentine considered as he watched Satoshi relax deeper and deeper in slumber, it was because he had seen Satoshi act before in all his fragile, human ways that he was so willing to protect him. Perhaps it was because Satoshi had saved him once in the only way he knew how that he was so ready to act in his benefit. Perhaps it was because everything was taking too harsh a toll that Argentine was willing to take some of it on himself.

Perhaps it was because he was old, and They were old, and he was just so tired.

Argentine held Satoshi that much more tightly at that, knowing where everything was headed and knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it or change what would happen. He could ease the way and make sure everything ended properly, but that was where his abilities would end.

"i can't save You."

They remained that way, completely and utterly still save for their breathing and Argentine's occasional squeeze until the sun cast its first rays through the far window and Argentine's mood finally settled.

Knowing it would not matter much, Argentine sapped some more magic from Satoshi to strengthen himself and rearranged the boy in his arms before he rose and carried him back to bed.

Satoshi would need as much proper rest as Argentine could offer, and Argentine would be sure that was what he would get.

* * *

When Satoshi woke, it was late in the day and to voices and buzzing and he understood then that whatever peace of mind he attained, it was transient and this ceaseless noise would always come back, and with that thought in mind, he threw off the sheets determined not to waste any more time acclimating himself.

The longer he tried to withstand this, the more likely he was to fall.

Satoshi would not allow that to happen.

As if he had sensed Satoshi had awaken (and when Satoshi thought about it, that was probably exactly what had happened) Argentine entered the room. "You have a Visitor."

"Who is it?" Argentine had already been under orders not to let certain people anywhere near the mansion, so the fact that someone was here and had been allowed to even approach the building was an oddity in and of itself.

"Kosuke Niwa."

There was an uproar in the back of Satoshi's mind from the very mention of the name that Argentine had to hide a flinch of sympathy at. Unable to so much as hear himself think and be absolutely sure the thoughts he heard were his own, Satoshi went with his instincts. "I'll go to him."

Satoshi followed Argentine through the hallways to the foyer where, indeed, one Kosuke Niwa was admiring a painting from a safe distance back, hands behind his back as if to broadcast that he wasn't here to cause any trouble. Satoshi stopped in his tracks, not sure why he was so shocked to see Kosuke actually here, in the Hikari mansion, when things had so recently gone pear-shaped, and it took Kosuke noticing him to jump-start his brain again.

All it took to affirm that this was all very real was the standard Kosuke grin and his ever-cheerful Hello.

It did not, however, banish all the suspicions from Satoshi's thoughts. "What are you doing here?"

Kosuke continued to study the painting in front of him. It was nothing extraordinary or interesting, but he took it all in nonetheless. "I thought with the ways things are going around here, you might need some help."

The part of Satoshi's mind that still belonged entirely to him wasn't amused at the vast understatement. "You do know that what I'm planning to do is probably going to kill Dark."

"Yeah." Kosuke's eyes were still on the art, but his focus was obviously elsewhere as he tried to piece together exactly what he wanted to say and how it was best to say it. "I married into the Niwa family because I love Emiko, Satoshi, not because I wanted anything to do with Dark. And right now, I don't think Dark is someone we should be trusting." Kosuke paused then, gathering his thoughts again, and finally brought his attention to Satoshi. "Everyone has suffered because of this whole Dark and Krad business long enough and it's time someone did something about it."

It didn't seem to be the time nor the place to remind Kosuke that Emiko would definitely kill him over this someday, and so all Satoshi did was nod in acceptance. "Alright."

Kosuke's idiot grin took over his face again. "OK. We need to finish up here was soon as we can. Dark's been making short work of the art."

Those words gave many of the voices pause and Satoshi's apprehension came back in full force. "What has he been doing?"

* * *

Dark surveyed the once formidable store of art before him, now drained nearly dry. This would have to do until he could locate more of the art. The feeling of magic pulsing in his veins was downright intoxicating and he found that he had missed it more than he had previously thought.

It was obvious now, however, that _someone_ had been sneaking more than just books away and that simply wouldn't do. Dark had been stockpiling all this art for a reason and for some of it to just up and disappear between the combined efforts of Argentine and Kosuke almost killed the manic grin on Dark's face. Almost.

The room gleaned before him with kerosene and Dark breathed deeply once more, feeling out with his magic to be certain Emiko and Daiki were still out of the house, and to his satisfaction, he found himself to still be alone.

With Daisuke still too dazed in the back of his mind to be aware, Dark lit the match in his hand and gave it a toss.

And just like that, the second Great Cultural Revolution began.


End file.
